Tripping through life
by l.write.sins.not.tragedies
Summary: Three friends William Darcy,Charles Bingley and Richard Fitzwilliam decide to honor their childhood pact and go for a vacation to Spain to celebrate Charles' bachelor party. The trip turns into an opportunity to heal wounds, fall in love with life and combat their worst fears as each of them tries to decipher a new meaning and find that one true love. *ZNMD inspired*
1. Prologue

Prologue

Charles Bingley was bored. He looked around at the shimmering lights and the debutants draped on the arms on the rich and fancy. He sighed. All the pompous frillery, the gaudy decorations, this was not his style. But that's how Melissa preferred it. He saw Richard wolfing down the food at an alarming rate on the other side of the hall, somehow managing to retain his charm judging by the blush that stained the cheeks of the young girl standing behind him. Damn! It was his engagement party and somehow that statement did not produce any excitement in Charles' mind. Melissa, his fiancée, was talking to his sister, Caroline, predictably pointing at someone and sneering. Somehow, the ever present curl of their lips(in disgust, of course!) made Caroline look like Melissa's sister rather than his.

He heaved another long sigh and took a sip of the expensive wine. How did it all come to this? When had the blonde and kind girl of his dreams been replaced by this peroxide bleached shrewd woman? He thought back..


	2. Chapter 1

Author's note: It is my first story. Plz go easy on me :) Thank you for the support. It is very encouraging.

A/n: I apologize for the typos. I had to update the chapter because of the same. NO change in the plot.(just the typos corrected)

Chapter 1

It was Caroline's 26th birthday. As expected, the party was as snobbish as it could get. Every article screamed 'money', from the merlot sparkling in the fine Spiegelau down to the most ostentatious chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. As for Caroline herself, let's just say that if makeup were to add pounds to the body, she'd weigh pretty heavy. It certainly made up for her lack of …umm.. cloth on her dress. It left nothing to the imagination. Charles had to stop himself numerous times from offering his jacket to her. He wondered how to compliment her without giving any offense. Was is only him or did the sparkles on her dress blind others as well? Melissa tugged at his arm. He smiled at the beauty next to him. She pointed at Caroline and went ahead to congratulate her friend. Mel Brayton was Caro's best friend or should we say a portal to the upper world? Thankfully, she did not look up to his sister's fashion sense. She was beautiful. The typical New York socialite- blond,blue eyed, tall and stick thin. Totally Charles' type. As for her personality, let's just say she had the temper of a 5 year old brat but was a saint compared to Caro. But who isn't? She was not bad, just a little caustic. The two of them had been set up by Caro eight months ago, in the hopes that Charles marry into the Brayton family. Since then, they had been coming strong though if he was to believe Darcy, "apologizing for no mistake and bending to _that_ woman's whims did NOT qualify as a progressing relationship". However, if it maintained peace in his home and warmed his bed, he won't complain.

"Jeez, this ballroom is constricting. I need some fresh air" the gingerhead muttered and spotted a garden just outside the entrance. Much to his surprise, the lack of Melissa on his arm did not bother him much. On the contrary the lack of the stifling smell of her perfume provided a much needed relief. Oops! said to soon. His moment of peace and deliberation was over as the object of his thoughts joined him.

"I hope you are enjoying the party. Caro has truly outdone herself this time." Charles merely gave a strained smile in response.

"Did you notice Mr. Goulding's daughter? That dress is so last season. As for Jeffy Cox, why did she even bother wearing anything at all if she wanted to parade her body so shamelessly? "

'Because you dress very modestly' Bingley thought sarcastically staring at her breasts that could be barely contained in her gown. Though thankfully, unlike Caro or Cox, she did not bare it all. As if sensing his thoughts, Melissa sneered. Not wanting to cause a scene, Charles quickly changed the topic. He felt around in his pocket and brought out a black velvet box. "I decided to grant Caro her …" but before he could finish, he dropped it clumsily onto the ground, in the typical Charles Bingley fashion. Yet, it was not before Melissa spotted the object snuggled within the folds of the box. Had he thought for even a moment before pursuing the next course of action or allowed that Darcy voice to invade his head, he would have balked and immediately stopped. However, that event was primal to the plot of the story and so my dear readers, the fates decide to have a good laugh at Bingley and paved way for the catastrophe that would soon follow. Afterall, it was Caro's birthday and Eris decided to grant her favorite pupil her biggest wish…well her second biggest wish!


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The moment Charles Bingley kneeled down to pick up the ring that had rolled away from its abode, Melissa's brain went into overdrive. Her eyes widened as she saw something that didn't exist and shrieked out startling poor Charles. "Yes, oh yes, Charles! I had no idea you'd propose.." She started babbling out about wedding china,flowers, etc as Charles looked on perplexed. Hearing the commotion, Caroline headed outside and stopped short at the scene in front of her. There was her brother, kneeling on the ground,with a very familiar ring in his hand and an expression of utter bewilderment on his face. Opposite him, her best friend was squealing (read screeching) about a Hawaiian wedding. Now, Caroline Bingley may be many things but a fool she was not. She understood what had happened and decided to milk it to her advantage.

"You proposed?"she addressed her brother, expressing her delight in having a rich and upstanding expression on her brother's face changed from stupefaction to realization to horror at an alarming rate but she knew she could not let this opportunity go if she wanted to climb the proverbial ladder. So before Charles could explain himself, she shouted as loudly as possible. "Charles, this is the best gift you could have given me. Oh, congratulations you two..Welcome to the family, Melly."She went and air-kissed her soon-to-be sister, all the while smirking at her plan as several people had already gathered outside. Meanwhile, Bingley was spluttering and red in face. He pulled Caroline aside as the guests congratulated Melissa. "What are you doing Caro?" Bingley hissed. "I brought this ring for you as a birthday present and..and.. not for _her._ Louisa told me you were eyeing this ring for some time now. I was just showing my purchase to Melissa. I dropped it and then.." "Well there is nothing you can do about it now Charles. I knew that I had seen that ring before." She finished.

Before Charles interrupted, she continued "Look, you cannot break off the engagement now,.."

"There is no engagement" Of course, the statement was ignored.

"Do you have any idea how humiliating it would be for Melissa if the truth came out?" Seeing his resolve breaking, Caro ploughed on. "Also, I don't see what's wrong in it. You two have been dating for eight months now. This is the right course of action. Look how she glows. You have made her so happy Charlie. You have made **me** so you so selfish that you would willingly destroy our joy?"

She knew she had succeeded when she saw Charles' resigned expression. "Of course, we'll plan the best wedding for my little brother." She saw Charles' face paling and decided to help him before he fainted. She quickly commenced the dancing as Melissa basked in the attention of her peers.

Later into the night, Caroline approached her brother who was now drinking away his sorrows and mourning for his broken dreams. "I did not want this. How could she just misconstruct the situation?" he whispered. "It looked like to a proposal to us all, Charles" Caroline replied softly. "I don't understand what you are whining about, brother. You have been living together for three months now. Surely, you would've proposed to her in few weeks. Melly is a lovely girl. She is beautiful, rich, social queen and knows the difference between mahagony and tawny."

"Because that is the most important part" muttered Charles. The orange crow huffed.

"You know I'm right. Speak to Will Darcy if you don't believe 'll definitely agree with me. Speaking of which, he just sent me a text wishing me a happy birthday. Such a gentleman, he is. I expected him to be here poor Willy, he is always is he?"

"You know him Caro, he is busy with his wife."

"Wife?" the orange scarecrow shrieked. Charles winced. "Not literally Caro. You know how we always joke that Darcy is married to his work. Anyways, he is in Dubai right now. Some stupid deal or so."

"Dubai?" was the incredulous response. "You didn't know? Didn't he send you his greetings and leave of absence?" Charles asked sarcastically as splotches of red appeared on his sister's face.

She narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps he did drop a message. After all I receive so many messages. His message must be lost within the thousand others that I receive from my well-wishers." She fanned herself with that pretentious air that she typically possessed. "Of course" with that Charles rolled his eyes and left before he gouged out his own eyes. He didn't fault Darcy for ignoring Caro. She could tempt the strongest of men to jump off the bridge. He was witness to her maniacal acts when it came to Darcy. Perhaps seeing Caroline make a fool of herself would provide him with some entertainment.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here is the much awaited Darcy and of course, our second favorite** ** _gentleman_** **as well...**

 **2 weeks after the proposal**

It was the day of the engagement . However, a different kind of drama was taking place at Bingley's house.

"Why do you never listen to me Charles? I bought this suit specially for you. It matches with my dress and we both know that I have a superior sense of fashion than you" Melissa huffed."Well, I don't like it. Its way too stifling and.. glittery" was the exasperated reply by a certain blond.

"You vex me so Charlie. The least you could do is cooperate here after you decided to pull out from the party planning.I had to do everything on my own. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to color coordinate everything. On top of that, the caterers decided to serve salmon instead of armadillo shells."Mel finished, close to tears. Who in the blazing fires of hell eats armadillo shells? Charles refrained from pointing out that it was Melissa who rejected all of his ideas claiming a lack of taste and then threw him out of the loop. She was the one who wanted to show her perfect trophy wife-y abilities and organize the extravaganza on her own. Now, suddenly everything was his fault. Poor Charlie almost had a heart attack on seeing the cheque he needed to sign. It certainly was a poor start to the day.

"I guess my lacking taste explains why I chose you" Charles spoke to the empty room as Melissa escaped to moan about her woes to dear _daddy._ But Charles Bingley was anything but unkind. Its just a set of clothes, a set of unpleasant set of clothes, he corrected in his mind. But if it makes his fiancee happy, he'd make this sacrifice and indulge her.

 **1 week ago**

On the other side of the continent, Richard Fitzwilliam was in his studio copying onto the easel, the likeness of the lass lying oh-so-provocatively on his couch. His meditation on her long legs was broken by the blaring of _'_ _Hello, hello, hello, how low'._ He signaled to Rossita and saw Bingley's name (read over eager puppy) flashing on the screen. "Atta Charlie boy, its been long. How could this perfect specimen of man be of service to thou? Though first tell me, is anybody getting her bellyful of marrow?" On the other end, Charlie just laughed. "Rick, there is a life beyond bed."

"Is it? It must be pretty dry."

Charlie cut down to the issue immediately."I am getting married RIcky."

There was a sudden silence at the other end."Hello, Rich, are you there?"

"Ha, you almost got me there golden head... but still let me confirm- did you just say you were getting shackled?" Richard asked.

"Well not in the exact same words but yes, I am getting married. You are invited to my engagement party. I'll email you the details and while you'd be here, I'll be sure to get your mental faculties checked."

Naturally, the last part of the statement went ignored as Richard replied in a horrified voice."Please don't tell me it is the duck-face evil incarnation who is hidden behind all that makeup."

"Hey! That's my fiancee you are talking about. Curb your wretched tongue and Melissa is no evil incarnation. She may have her bad moments, everyone is allowed that."

Again, the last part of the reply went relatively unacknowledged as Richard continued "I knew it. She is some kind of evil witch. What did she dose you with? A love potion or did she do some hocus pocus, sacrificing a poor innocent puppy to trap her groom? Though the latter is something only Caroline seems capable of..."

"I don't know if I should hit you on the head or laugh at your absurd theories but here is the dreadful story. Prepare yourself for a tale of chaos Mr. Fitzwilliam. Even you would laugh at my luck..." and so, Charles related to Richard the events of the night that changed his life.

Sometime later..

Richard whistled into the phone."That is one hell of a story. See, you could tell this to your grandkids someday- 'How I met your grandmother' and then give them advice about how not to kneel at the wrong time. I can almost see somebody writing a fanfiction about it."

"I am glad you are finding hilarity in my misery, Fitzwilliam. Amusement?That's all can derive from it? Nothing like 'I pity you Charles ' or 'I am sorry for your fate Charles but don't you worry everything will turn out to be fine in the end' ?A little compassion would be appreciated here, Mr. Casanova"

"Aww c'mmon Bingley, don't be such a killjoy. Let Darcy do that job. Speaking of which, I wonder how he will react to this sordid tale of perplexity? No matter what, his reaction is certainly gonna be entertaining. On a side note, at least Caroline had a good birthday. I imagine she must be wringing and rubbing her hands in triumph and thinking of her next nefarious plot."

"Are you sure you are in the right profession Richard? Perhaps you should take up writing with that over active imagination. Though I'd be really grateful if you use that imagination to pluck me out from this situation."

"And leave all the other writers homeless and jobless? Na, Bingley. I am not that cruel. As for your fate, it's not as bad as you are complaining about. The woman may have the personality of a sour lemon but at least she has the looks and ability in bed. Her legs would keep you satisfied. Just find a way to tape her mouth and give her your credit card. There you go, both of you will have the perfect life."

Charles rolled his eyes. He was so used to Richard's scandalous way of talking that he no longer bothered to feel offended. "I have no idea why I even bother with you Richard." With that Bingley kept the phone down dreading the next call.

On the other hand, Richard Fitzwilliam felt bewildered. He had no idea how Charlie managed to get stuck in a new mess every other month. Looks like he'll have to visit London now. Atleast he'll get free food. The artist was nothing if not a foodie.

As Richard predicted, Darcy flipped out on hearing the news. Why did he skype him? Charlie had never seen his friend at a loss of words. But fortunately or unfortunately for Bingley, the silence did not last for long as Darcy started cursing him for his careless ways. The rebuking went for a while when Charles cut in "I know I acted without thinking Will. Jeez, one would think you are being united with Melissa with the way you are acting.I am suffering as it is. I don't need you chiding me on top of that."

Darcy's eyes softened and a trickle of guilt crept in. "I know. I am sorry Charles. It's just that I worry about you. I feel like had I been there, I would have been able to salvage the situation."

Charlie knew of his friend's protective tendencies. William Darcy felt that it was his responsibility to bear the world's burden. "Not everything is your fault Will." He did not say much because he knew anything he said would fall on deaf ears.

"Anyways, don't do anything more stupid Charles" Darcy reverted back to his business voice."And for heaven's sake, get her to sign a prenup. Get it drafted asap and send it to me. I'll check it for any loopholes. God knows that Melissa is very shrewd when it comes to this stuff."

"What sin did I commit in the past life to be saddled with two friends like these? While one of them is laughing at my predicament, the other one is treating me like a dumb wit. Can't either of you even pretend to support me? I am getting married Darce. I need my best friends here."

"I am sorry Charles. I know I should be more supportive here and trust your judgement.I am just really tired after today's meeting. As beautiful as Dubai is, some of the investors here are a pain in the ass."William sighed.

"Well, if you are feeling sorry, you may come to London next week and grovel at my feet. I expect you to attend my engagement party here, Darce."

"I am really sorry Bing. Looks like I'll spend all my time apologizing. I'm not sure if I could be there. Once the situation wraps up here, I need to go overlook the production in Singapore."

"You need to get a life and a wife Will. You work almost fifteen hours a day and what for? You don't have a girlfriend to splurge on. You barely spend anything on yourself. Why are you running after all that money? Live in the moment, dammit! At 80, when you'd be too old to enjoy anything and would be lying on the hospital bed, you'd regret all this. Nobody wants to die alone and bitter Darcy. Hell, all this business has estranged your own sister..." Bingley stopped. He knew he had gone too far.

"Goodbye, Charles." was the cold sign off as William Darcy signed out trying to push down those harsh words that reverberated in his mind.

Charles felt guilty for his outburst. Georgiana Darcy was a sensitive issue for William. He just wanted the best for his friend. He hated to see William wither away. The bright young boy that befriended Charles was lost somewhere. Then again, the blond was upset that his best man won't be there for his engagement party. It wasn't too much to ask for,was it?

 **A/N: Please inform me if there are some errors. It seems like somehow what I am writing and saving is not exactly what is being published. Somehow, the grammar gets messed up. A few words deleted here and there due to which I need to update the chap again and again...**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: sorry for the long wait. I had my uni exams and a seriously busy life..but I AM BACK :)**

 **At the party**

While the frillery could have been reduced, all the guests agreed that the future Mrs. Bingley had done a fine job. The wine was plenty, the champagne sparkling and bubbling and the open bar was too much of a temptation. A treat few could resist. Everyone was mingling and dancing. The girls were dressed in their finest and the guys looked dashing in their handsome tuxedos. While the all the upper echelons of the society seemed to enjoy themselves, there stood one lone figure in a dark corner looking lost and weary to the world. This poor soul was clearly uncomfortable with the finery and the sparkles adorning his outfit. One could see him looking between his watch and the door time and again as he muttered in exasperation "Where the devil is he?"

"Charles dear", approached the orange condor who also happened to be his _sister_ "I totally share your sentiments. You must be waiting for dear William. Though it is quite unlike him to be late I know him to be so punctual and its already a quarter past eight. I wonder what is holding him up so. Then again he works so hard all the time. He needs a wife in his life. Somebody who has the airs for that position. Who has the grace and the poise and is up to date in all the latest fashion trends. Don't you agree?"

"Actually Caro, Darcy won't be gracing us with his presence tonight. I would have interrupted your monologue earlier but it was far too entertaining".

Caroline covered up her nasty expression before somebody saw it. "Then who is it you are waiting for so impatiently?"

"Richard. I know he is never really on time but this is going beyond 'fashionably late'. He landed in the afternoon, of that I am sure. "

"Knowing him, he would have probably picked up somebody to warm his bed on his way to the hotel." Caroline finished disgusted. If she had her way, she'd rather not see Richard Fitzwilliam ever in her life. He was a menace to the society and should be kept away from the company of the elite. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and continued "Honestly, I think it's better if he arrives after the party is over and even better if he doesn't come at all. I'd rather stay away from his undignified person. Imagine what my friends would say when they see his deplorable manners at the dining table." Caro shuddered. Bingley as usual ignored his sister's drivel.

"Ah, my darling Caroline! It is always such a pleasure to hear your oh-so-lovely-views about , you are making me blush with all that praise." Caroline turned around to face the owner of that voice and there before her stood Richard Fitzwilliam, extraordinaire artist, in all his glory with a smirk adorning his face. At 6 feet, with a good physique and broad shoulders, the blue eyed man made an impressive picture dressed in an Armani thankfully devoid of any water color stains and wrinkles. The shaggy copper hair bespoke of the owner's past hour activity. He looked good. Caroline admitted grudgingly though he could appear a bit more dignified by closing the top button of his shirt and wearing a was a formal party! How she wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.

"So, do I pass your approval,my dear?I must say I missed your enchanting personality." Richard winked at her, his voice effused with his ever present charm. How he loved to aggravate , Charles guffawed.

"This is a formal party Mr. Fitzwilliam. A bit more stately appearance would have been much appreciated though I doubt you would even know the meaning of dignity if it slapped in you in the face" Caroline said unleashing her..eh.. charm. With that she walked away to get away from the germs that the Fitzwilliam son surely had.

"Was that actual feathers in her dress?" Rich asked his friend, wide-eyed and amused as he stared after the witch walking away. Charles cleared his throat to prevent the chuckle that threatened to bubble from his throat and engulfed his friend in a hug. "It's good to see you Rich. It's been pretty long. I wasn't sure you'd be able to come with that project you had going on."

"And miss the free food? Not for the world. Though you certainly owe me,Clifford. You have no idea how much willpower it takes to extract oneself from Rossita's legs. Man, those legs could rival Julia Roberts'…"

"I don't need the details Rick though…isn't Rossita the name of the model you were working with?" Charles appeared incredulous as he took two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, offering one to the copperhead beside him.

"Yeah. So?" Richard appeared genuinely perplexed as he sipped on the bubbling liquid.

"Nothing." Charles shook his head. "Just how in the blazing hell are you related to William Darcy?"

"The Scrooge? I'm telling you I am adopted. There is now way that stuffy family is my own blood." Richard looked around the banquet. "The workaholic couldn't make it, right?"

"No."Charles heaved a disappointed sigh. "Though I don't blame him." When Richard merely raised an eyebrow in reply, he gave a strained Richard was not the one to intrude.

"Cheer up Charlie-Boy. Let's celebrate your impending doom. Now, where is your lovely fiancée? Not showing off her millionaire beau to her b******? Then again, she doesn't need to do that. Those sculptures scream 'I have bagged a guy with a million dollars in his bank account and I won't stop till I make him bankrupt'. Everything here speaks for itself.I'm telling you her _daddy_ is breathing sighs of relief. "finished Fitzwilliam, his teeth gleaming bright.

Faced with that charm, Bingley could not find it in himself to be offended. He merely laughed, patted his friend's back and dragged him towards the money sucker ...eh... MEL!

 **A/N: Will try to update soon. Let me know how you guys feel. :) Also, if anyone could help me, it would me much appreciated.i am facing a slight problem in uploading the chapters. I type them in a word doc and then upload them on the site , more often than not a few words 'disappear' after uploading it. Does anyone else face the same problem or it just me?**


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews, follows and favorites. This chapter introduces the major idea behind the story.

A/n: **Just cleared a few typos. No change in plot.**

Chapter 5

Everyone was ready for dinner. Much to Carolina's dissent, Richard sat at the head table directly next to Charles. The table seated ten people including Charlie's favorite uncle, Ted Bingley and his wife while all the other seated consisted of Mel's socialites. True to his manner, Fitzwilliam ate like a pig not because he was hungry but because he loved to rile up Caroline. The disgusted expression on Melissa's face made him nearly double the speed of gobbling. He wanted to see how deep that frown could go and if it could somehow stick permanently to her face. His affable charm though made up for his atrocious manners and made him a favorite among the other ladies at the table.

"So Richard, where is the third musketeer? I looked in the shadows but spotted no brooding man." asked Ted.

"The Grinch! Neither free food nor beauty can tempt him but one word about some business opportunity in some hovel and Will Darcy can sniff that out like a hound. You look at the clock and he is on the very next flight to snatch it up before anybody has any chance."

"The ferocious glare does frighten most away" added Charles.

"So yeah, no chore in London so the sod could not be bothered to catch a flight to join us mere mortals for, heaven forbid" Richard gasped "a social gathering."

Ted laughed in response. "That boy needs to lighten up. A lively girl would do wonders for him. I remember him as a jovial teenager. Anne's death just sapped the joy out of his life. Such a steadfast life he lives.."

"That is what makes him so successful, Uncle. Unlike some others here" the Bingley shrew said with a pointed glance at the artist "Will darling does not let food or girls distract him. He is a very dutiful and hardworking man and instead of mocking him, I think people should learn something from him. Perhaps then, they'll have a stable career and won't have to take money from their parents."

Charles was feeling mortified at this pointed jab at Richard. But Rich merely raised his glass and grinned. That mischievous glint in his eye was perturbing. "Ah! Looks like some people don't have to worry on that front. After all, they need to have something remotely resembling a career to talk about it. Then again, they can just live off their brothers' money."

"How dare you?" she balled her fists and looked ready to tear the red head apart. Her flaring nostrils did not do much to improve her visage.

"What have you been upto these days Richard?Charlie here says you have become quite the artist." Ted's wife, Victorie spoke loudly dispelling the frigid tension in the air.

"Flitting about here and there. Painting whatever catches my fancy. You know me, I just can't stay at one place for long. Currently, though, I am working on an assignment in Greece for a magazine. Let us just say Rossita Marina stirs the brush and the paint." he winked.

"The supermodel?" asked a young girl down the row with awe in her eyes while her sister blushed on seeing Richard's waggling eyebrows.

"You know Melissa" Ted turned to his future daughter-in-law and her sneer suddenly turned into a saccharine smile that screamed 'P-R-E-T-E-N-S-I-O-N' "these three- Richard, William and Charlie were as thick as thieves in school. Called themselves the Three Musketeers."

"Certainly lived up to the name" muttered Victorie as her better half laughed.

"Oh yes, the amount of mischief they got into. I can still hear my sister-in-law, Charles' mother, God bless her soul, screaming at the three of them to reduce the ruckus they always created" mused Ted.

Charles chuckled. "Remember that one time, when we put a frog under Caroline's comforter and Caro screamed like a banshee. Mom got really angry. William was mortified when his parents were told about it. It was a blemish to his spotless and solemn reputation. Mr. Darcy though laughed."

Richard cheered on. "The good days! Though this reminds me of our pact."

"Which pact?" Charlie looked bewildered and scrunched up his nose in confusion. Melissa thought he looked adorable.

Richard acted offended and cried out "You don't remember THE pact. The pact of the Three Musketeers. I could have expected this from my stoic cousin but _et tu, Charlie_?"

The Bingley with the double X chromosomes rolled her eyes "Just tell us already are you jabbering about now?"

"You are a pack of boring old people" grumbled Rick. "I resent that" came Ted's voice. "In high school, we made a pact that before any of us gets married, we will go to Spain to celebrate his last days of freedom. A bachelor trip of sorts."

"Last days of freedom? I am not being sentenced to the guillotine." Charles' quip went relatively ignored.

"Now that dear ginger-boy here is getting married the Three Musketeers need to go to Spain to celebrate the spirit of bachelorhood. Well there are more details to the pact but they are privy to the musketeers only"

Charles grinned. "I remember now. Wow! It sounds fun. All those plans we made. I think I still may have some of those scraps of paper in the attic of our summer house."

And just like that what Charles had thought would be a monotonous and tiring night took an excited turn as his mind churned out ideas and returned to the lane of the childhood full of forgotten memories. He will make sure that this trip is the best trip he has ever had even if it is the last thing he does. If it involves dragging a screaming and kicking Darcy, all the more fun. He will do it. Even if it means sabotaging a certain fellow musketeer's plans. Spain it is!

A/N: Let me know your thoughts. Darcy will finally come in the next chapter. :D


	7. Chapter 6

There was an annoying buzz in his ear. He turned over hoping that it would stop but in vain. The blaring turned louder. Something was seriously wrong with the world. He opened his eyes blearily and looked at the clock. A string of curses were issued from the staid man's usually clean mouth. He groaned and picked up the phone at last resisting the temptation of throwing it against the opposite wall.

"It's freaking 2am in Dubai, Charles. What the hell is wrong with you?" growled the enigma known as William Darcy into the phone.

Charles, used to his friend's grumpy ways grinned unrepentant. "You missed my engagement party, Will. The least you could do is oblige me here."

"I have already done you three bloody favors in the last 5 days. You cannot hang one single thing over my head all my life. I said I am sorry but I was really busy. Is that why you have called me at this time? Is it some sort of a revenge? STOP GOOFING…."

"Woah..woah.I have not called to torment you. Wait a sec, let me take Rick on conference" cut off Bingely.

"Ahoy! The great Richard Fitzwilliam speaking here. How may I help you cowboys?"

Darcy looked at his phone incredulous and stared at it as if it contained the answer to some obscure mystery of the world.

When there was no reply from said cowboys on either end, Richard spoke up again in a very solemn voice. "Ok guys! You really need to speak up. I am just in a towel that is slipping down my waist every second.."

"No details needed." Shouted Bingley as Darcy said "Are you drunk Richard? Again? Or are you high this time?"

"Neither dear cousin. It is just my natural charm which is lost on grumpy old men like you."

"Just get on with it Bingley. I'm afraid I don't have the time nor the inclination to suffer Richard at this time in the night." came the morose voice of Darcy.

"It is always such a pleasure to hear you so cheerful words and pleasing greetings, cousin."

Before the banter could escalate, Charles intervened. He knew the two of them could go at it the entire night. "Actually Darce, this is about something that we planned a long way back in school. I 'm assuming you too have forgotten about it. Charles fumbled and mumbled something.

William heaved a tired sigh. "Speak up Charles."

"When should we go to Spain?" Charles rushed out.

"Spain?" came through William's skeptical voice. He made a weird noise in the back of his throat. "Are you talking about that Bachelor pact thing?"

"He remembers" Richard shouted surprised. Darcy cleared his throat uncomfortably and replied "I am not so sure about it. We were kids and it was so long ago. Plus all of us are so busy..I.."

"Oh c'mmon Darcy! It was a promise made with blood. You just can't break it. It's a sin and you would be bound for hell."

"He's already bound for hell" quipped Rick.

"Plus you owe for missing my .."

"Oh for heaven's sake Charles. You cannot blackmail me everytime with the same damn thing" the Darcy heir said gruffly.

"I checked with Mrs. Reynolds Will. Your schedule is not very tight from 20 Aug to 5 Sept that is there is nothing very pressing in those days that would require your sole attention. Atleast nothing that cannot be shifted by fifteen days or so." Spoke Richard.

"How did you weasel out my schedule form her? When did you..?How..?" William was flabbergasted. Mrs. Reynolds was an extremely efficient asset to his company. She was his father's secretary when he was alive and now she handled that position for Will. The MI-6 would feel intimidated when facing her. She was fiercely protective of Will and never ventured about his personal accounts to anyone.

"I told you. No one can resist the Fitzwilliam charm. Well that and Mrs. R knew her poor boy needed a break." Richard's smugness gave way to teasing. It was a well known fact that Mrs. R coddled William like a baby.

"But two weeks? Seriously? We'd be spending more than two weeks in an unfamiliar country? I know all the tasks combined shouldn't take more than 10 days."

"We were creating the itinerary when Richard pointed out that the Tomatina would be celebrated on the 30th of August. So we'll have to take a slight detour to attend that though it would be totally worth it!" Bingley was clearly excited.

"Tomatina? Are you sure? I don't see the point of throwing tomatoes at each other and getting yourself dirty and sticky."

"William. Shut up! Just do us a favor. Pack your bags and just come to Barcelona. After that we will handle everything. We don't need your opinions and plans. Seeing that you don't even comprehend the meaning of FUN, clearly you cannot be entrusted with any aspect of the planning though I know how difficult it must be for a control freak like you. Just this once leave it to us. You have been working way too much. You haven't taken a vacation in the past two years. You need to LIGHTEN UP." Richard finished.

Darcy had no reply to that.

"Also," Richard's voice had that mischievous quality now "on the last day of the trip, we'll give our Charlie boy a real bachelor party complete with strippers and alcohol and …"

Darcy kept down the phone before Richard could finish. He was not in a frame of mind to handle the lewd ideas that were sure to follow. Plus he knew that Charles would have already hung up the phone on hearing the word 'stripper'.

He laid back down with a thud. He looked around. The room was a mess. Papers. Thick files. Surrounded all around him and a thicker bundle back at home. He ran a tanned hand over his face and got up to face the mirror. The reflection showed a tall young man in the epitomy of youth but his eyes depicted a different story. Deep brown eyes stared back at him surrounded by dark circles that bespoke of his misery and loneliness. The face that belonged to the front page of a fashion magazine was as usual expressionless, a mask he was scared to discard even in the privacy of his own bedroom. The well sculpted body would make any girl swoon and yet the thought of girls never crossed his mind. William sighed. He felt too old. Way beyond his twenty eight years .Like an old soul trapped in a young man's body, wandering around in search of peace. Perhaps this trip was just what he needed. He'd try to rekindle their friendship. God knows the three of them were drifting apart and had it been left to him… He dreaded to think how Melissa would affect their lives. It wouldn't be a positive impact for sure. However for now, that mountain of pillows and the thick comforter seemed way too inviting. Who knew that someday he would cherish something as simple as silk sheets after a long day? A partner by his side would be a cherry on the top. This was his last thought as he was carried away in the arms of Morpheus.

A/N: I would love to hear your thoughts. Also, let me know if there are any grammar issues or typos :)


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you for all those lovely reviews! you guys made my day. :)

Here's the next chapter. It's more of a filler though we will finally learn about the 'pact' terms.

* * *

Charles, are you sure about this? Do you really want to go to this trip? Think about it, all those terms of your 'entente' seem silly. Hey! What are you keeping those swimming trunks for?" shouted Melissa, all in one single breath.

Charles merely raised his eyebrows at this uncharacteristic attitude of the otherwise composed lady and continued putting his clothes in the duffel bag.

"Run those 'Bachelor Pact' terms by me again." She spoke leaning against the headboard, making no offer of any help and totally ignoring the fact that she had just called those terms silly.

Charles sighed, zipped up his bag, sat on his bed and spoke to Melissa as if speaking to a five year old. "For the twentieth time Mel, it is not a stripper joint party." The three musketeers, as they liked to call themselves in school, had a long standing agreement according to which during this road trip through Spain, each one of them would pick an adventure task or sport in three different cities and then all three of them would have to take part in it without any exception, even if they break their limbs. "And I know what I'm going to choose. It will make Will weep." He rubbed his hands in glee with a smile as sinister as he could manage, which admittedly, wasn't much . Then it was as if a sudden change overcame the hyperactive child-man and he grinned like a school boy of ten going to his first adventure. Melissa looked on bemused.

* * *

Richard Fitzwilliam was packing..err dumping everything he could get his hands on into his suitcase. The poor ironing lady would have had a seizure on seeing the wrinkles on his clothes and all her hard work being tossed in the bin as the Fitzwilliam spare shoved all his stuff haphazardly into the camping bag, all the while bobbing his head to some 1980's metallic rock. He stared at his bedside drawer with his brows furrowed. Then shrugged his shoulders and swaggered towards it. He scooped out the contents and stuffed them into the side pocket of his valise. Stored within were two boxes of condoms.

"España,here I come!"

His eyes glinted with mischief. "Be ready to wet your pants Charlie Boy." He cackled in the empty room.

* * *

William Darcy was not having a good day. But hey, what's new?

His secretary, Mrs. Reynolds had just told him that the Clarkes had added a new clause to their last contract which may result in a loss of millions of dollars for Pemberley Corporations. His eye caught hold of the frame lying innocently in a corner of his desk. It depicted a young girl of about sixteen with her golden hair down to her shoulders as the wind nuzzled them and a lovely laugh escaping the confines of her mouth. Her eyes were bubbling with mirth but on closer inspection, one could see the sadness and loneliness in her blue eyes, that she inherited from her mother. William's jaw tightened and he fisted both his hands as he remembered that memory. That dreadful day that stole Georgiana away from him. He walked towards the window and looked at the city lights shining below. His shoulders hunched as he tried to find a way to carry all that weight on his heavy shoulders without sagging down. His eyes tried but failed to hide the multitude of dark emotions within him. Disappointment. Anger. Loneliness.

He turned around as the door opened and Mrs. Reynolds entered. His expression cleared and returned to it's normal state.

"Mr. Darcy, I hope you have packed your bags. Your flight leaves tomorrow at 10. I have emailed you the flight details."

Darcy looked clueless."You, young man." Mrs. R huffed. "Don't you remember? Spain? I see now why Richard has been calling me every hour for the past 4 hours. Should have guessed you would not remember it."she muttered.

Darcy looked abashed. "..I was busy with the Clarkes' situation." He defended himself. "Of course, sir." She replied fondly. "That means you have not had your lunch yet either. I will call Simmons and have it sent up to your office. You better eat it up first and foremost or I'll allow that Caroline Bingley to come in here. She dearly wants to see ' _her dear William'_. It's been so long after all.", finished Mrs. R in a poor imitation of the shrew as Darcy chuckled. It gave her heart much relief to see the young man laughing. It had been so long since the bright light left his eyes.

Darcy swore. "I'll have to talk to Charles about his sister." He paused and ran a hand through his hair as he was wont to do often. " I had totally forgotten about that journey. I can't believe it. All these years, I had been waiting for it but now, it seems kind of stupid" he confessed. His countenance turned fierce. "There is so much work to do. I don't have time for gallivanting." His eyes though bellied his words. He was warring with himself about it. A larger part of him profoundly wanted to go but the other part of him felt like he did not deserve any sort of gratification.

Had this been some other situation, William would have found it extremely hilarious. There stood, his secretary, half his size, glaring at her employer with her hands on her hips and an expression that clearly said-'Are you really this dumb?'.

"You, my dear child, need to get out of this hovel. I will personally shove you out if I have to. When was the last time you saw the sun? I am sure those clothes in your wardrobe are itching to be used. I can't remember the last time you wore something other than a three piece suit. I have seen to your schedule and you can easily take the next twenty days off. Go out and enjoy those Spanish beauties before you get any grey hair. You don't want to lie in a hospital bed at seventy and bemoan about the lack of adventure in your life as you were tied to a dreary desk all day."

Darcy looked at her suspiciously. "That sounded like something Richard would say." He was tired of hearing the same line over and over again from all people.

If someone said 'I can't remember the last time...' one more time, he would bang his head into the next wall.

"Perhaps, I have been taking lessons from him." Mrs R. winked and left the office.

That had Darcy backing down. He knew that combined with the forces of Mrs. Reynolds, Bingley and Richard; he stood no chance. They may very well gag him and bind him the next plane bound for Barcelona. Atleast it will get him away from Caroline, he thought looking at his mobile screen that showed ten text messages and fifteen missed calls from the orange haired woman. With that William Darcy's reluctance turned into anticipation. Perhaps he may end up enjoying this adventure. Now, as for the adventure sport, what could he choose to terrorize his cousin? He may as well start by asking Google for some help.

* * *

A/N: let me know your thoughts. i would love to hear your ideas about what you guys want to see during the trip.

Also, a very Happy New Year.


	9. Chapter 8

One day later, the three of them were boarding for Barcelona, Spain from their respective locations. Darcy took advantage of his seat in the first class. Bingley found a new friend in a fellow business man in the business class while Richard suffered the lot of the economy class squished in the middle seat accompanied by a wailing baby on one side and an old man with sunken cheeks who used him as his pillow on the other side. What this difference in seating arrangement implied, is the dear reader's guess. To nobody's surprise, Darcy spent the entire flight grumbling about wasted time and frivolous activities. In spite of his new found determination to enjoy the trip, he could not let go of his habit of the past eight years. When the air hostess brought along the magazines, he picked Business Times over Playboy. Suddenly his mind conjured his cousin's image and his incredulous reaction on seeing Darcy's choice of reading material. The laugh produced henceforth almost made the poor air hostess turn around all the way and ask the dashing young man, his phone number. Richard spent his time gobbling down the food and flirting with the girl too young for him, seated behind him as he vexed the steward who had to prompt him to sit down, again and again. As for Charles, his new found friend found himself in the toilet for almost the entire course of flight. Subsequently, Bingley was too jittery and fiddled constantly. In hindsight, he did not feel an ounce of sorrow for leaving his fiancée behind for such a long time. To be honest, there was perhaps a certain amount of eagerness to get away from Melissa.

"Charlie boy!" hollered Richard Fitzwilliam over the heads of the multitude of people crowding the _Barcelona? Airport.

Bingley turned his head around looking for a speck of copper hair. Spotting that goofy grin was not a very difficult task. After, all very few people could carry out a t-shirt with the logo – " _" that could be seen clearly even at a distance of 500 m. He picked up his bag and jogged towards the blue eyed man. Soon the ginger head mirrored the silly smile that adorned the face of his artist friend. Rick gave his soon-to-be-shackled friend a one armed hug.

"So,how is the forty five kg of plastic and fake smile? I'm surprised she did not tag along with her _chinchua?"

Bingley narrowed his eyes. "Rick, don't. Just don't. Melissa is my fiancée. The sooner you accept that, the better. Please don't address Mel like that in front of me or I'm afraid I'll have to curtail this trip. In fact, do me a favor and don't talk about my impending marriage at all. Let me enjoy this trip in peace. Don't make me force you into the boot during this road trip."

Richard gave him an aghast look. He knew Bingley was all bark. "Who said I was talking about Melissa? I was talking about Caroline. Why, even the possibility that I'd say so about my Melissa!" this was accompanied by a miffed expression. "Though now you say, both of them do…" he trailed off as Bingley gave him the stink eye.

"I am gonna be stuck on this trip with two grumbling killjoys. One will be drowning in his business files and the other in his sorrow." Richard grumbled loud enough to be heard by Charles .

"Where is Darcy? I cannot bear your company any longer."

"His flight should have landed by now." Richard said looking at the simple timepiece on his wrist.

And there was Fitzwilliam Darcy speaking, no barking, into his phone with the ever present scowl that marred the otherwise perfect face. Nonetheless he was oblivious to the number of eyes that turns to stare at him as he moved through the crowd to the baggage collection area.

"This is so unfair. I had to shove people out of my way to move through that throng. The old hags were waddling and didn't even have the decency to tuck their elbows in. Almost got a nick from a teenager who mistook the airport as a circus with the way she was juggling her handbags. But as soon as Fitzwilliam Darcy walks in, the crowd parts to make way for that snob. If it's his intimidating glare that has the effect or that runway facial features, I don't know. You know what is even worse is that the bastard does not even realize the effect he has." finished an amused artist as his companion looked on in exasperation and moved forward to greet his best friend.

"Ah! That face always makes my day. It's been months since I saw that famous Darcy frown. Such a warm and endearing expression." Richard mocked in a saccharine voice as he pretended to wipe a tear from the corner of his eyes. Meanwhile, Charles coughed behind his hand to hide his mirth. Will narrowed his eyes but moved forward to pull his cousin in a stiff hug. Bingley gave him a quick but very enthusiastic hug, elated to see his fellow musketeer after such a long time but then again, Bingley does everything enthusiastically. Perhaps that is the reason why he was never allowed to enter the mechanic's shop as a kid.

The ladies at the airport nearly swooned as a dimple appeared on the Darcy heir's face in response to his friend's exuberance. Will Darcy was a fine specimen on God's green earth. The brown-eyed man made everyone experience intense emotions whether it be intimidation, jealousy, awe or passion. The sharp planes of his face cut an impressive visage and the aristocratic nose adorned his nose, giving him a face that belonged to _mag name rather than a boardroom. At that time, Richard did not know what he felt. There was certainly delight in finally seeing his cousin come out of his self-imposed exile. Accompanied with that was pity, for whom, he had no idea. Astoundingly there was also an emotion that resembled resentment. Well, there was a reason he became an artist and not a psychologist.

"I was almost expecting you to ditch us, just like you ditched me on my engagement. You managed to get out of that shack behind the mountain of files, you call office. Though looks like the poor guy on the phone was bearing the brunt of the big bad boss' anger." spoke Bingley. He was prepared to hang the engagement fiasco over Darcy's head for the rest of this trip. If guilt-tripping him was what it takes to make this trip successful, he'd do it. Never let it be said that Charles Bingley was as innocent as a lamb. He may surprise you.

"Why don't you guys keep your opinions to yourselves? Do me a favor and try to use the filter that must be present somewhere in your brain, most likely buried beneath that trash that fills up your mind" countered a grinning Darcy.

Bingley cleared his throat.

"Why don't we guys prooceed toceed to that café across the street? I'm famished and Will? " he paused long enough for William to look up at him. "Please tell me you have brought something other than three piece suits with you." He said with a pointed glance at Will's crisp suit.

"I'd be surprised if that suitcase consists of anything other than office files" muttered Rick. His quip went ignored.

"I won't dress like a street urchin, Charles." He said with a pointed glance at Richard's crude graphics' t-shirt. "Needless to say, I have brought along some casual clothes."

Richard looked bored with this string of conversation and moved towards the exit. He looked over his shoulder and said "As cheerful as your presence is dear cousin, I'd really like to make peace with the mice in my stomach."

William had a glint of amusement in his eye. " *'They whose sole bliss is eating can give but that one brutish reason why they live.' Glutton! " he shouted back and Bingley guffawed as the two of them raced ahead to follow the copper head man who pretended to be unaware of their existence.

*- quote by Juvenal


	10. Chapter 9

"So, what is the order of things? I was thinking that first we could go with Bing's idea here, then you have the reins Darce and we can end the trip with some Richard love." Winked Rick as he shoved down food in his mouth at an alarming rate. Charles looked fascinated with Richard's speed of gobbling while Darcy had given up qualms in expressing his disgust and went back to typing his text.

William looked up from his phone "Umm..I'm not so sure about that. I mean, it was a childish pact. We were kids, after all not that you ever grew up Rich. Why do we have to go through these 'dares' at all? Can't we just enjoy Spain like normal tourists?" "And…I guess we can't" William retracted on seeing the twin glares directed his way from the other two gentlemen. Well, he went back to his phone. His one companion that doesn't disapprove of him. "Though I don't understand why we can't reveal the tasks to each other yet!" Darcy had to have the last comment.

The three of them had a long-standing pact to go to Spain on a bachelor trip, and that during the road trip, each of them would have to pick an adventure sport which all three would try together. So here they were, sitting at a local restaurant as they debated on the ideal itinerary. Finally, after a long boardroom worthy discussion they were able to concur on a schedule which surprisingly enough was something that Richard had suggested initially. First they would go to Costa Brava which was a six hour drive from Barca, for Charles' activity; then Seville as decided by Darcy and in the end, the king's jester would take them to Pampeona. The grin produced henceforth on Richard's face was way too reminiscent of the Joker. It made the other two men, especially Fitzwilliam extremely wary for everybody knew Richard could rival the Weasley twins.

"Now, I know it is a road trip but we cannot shuffle in taxis all the time. It's a six hour ride to that villa, for heaven's sake. RICHARD! Pay attention, will you?" Darcy snapped as he saw Richard plugging in his earphones.

" .It is supposed to be a fun trip. FUN. F-U-N. You have probably forgotten the meaning of that. Use that Oxford dictionary, will you? Where is the fun without some cramped legs?"

"You don't have to plan every single step Will. There is a certain element of FUN in the mystery of anonymity. The unknown and the unplanned. Let it run the course on its own." Charles added his own input.

"What is this nonsense? You mean to say that if I keep sitting here on this damn hard chair..ergonomics, people, I will reach Costa Brava…by magic? _Letting nature run its course?_ Perhaps the winding road will roll out a magic carpet. You have been watching too much Dr. Who, Mr. Richie Rich and Mr. Clifford."

Richard tsked.

Bingley jumped in. "Costa Brava? Woah..Will. You mean to tell me we are going straight to Costa Brava from here? We won't even look around Barcelona? I have come all the way from England and I don't get to see Xavi city?"

"Xavi? That is who you think of? Lorenzo..Charlie boy, Vanessa Lorenzo."

"We don't have time for that Charles." Came the exasperated reply from one Will Darcy.

"We can at least go to Gran Via." With that the readhead popularly known as Clifford unleashed his puppy dog eyes that not even Will Darcy could resist. Now he may have a rough and tough exterior but he was only a human and Charles, his dearest friend.

"I guess one day won't make that much of a difference" conceded Will as he opened a huge map of Spain onto the table, marking a spot on it. Rich shared a grin with Charles on seeing their friend's meticulous ways.

Will looked up to see Charles grinning like a loon and then looked at Richard suspiciously. "You didn't add something to his drink, did you?" he asked, his eyes narrowed. Richard raised his hands and his face took an expression of innocence which quickly turned to offence." No. I did not… yet."

"I just can't believe that the three of us are finally here, after all these years." Charlie reasoned.

Will's eyes softened. Meanwhile, Richard had an uncharacteristic look about him, his mind lost far away.

"C'mmon. I see a hotel there. We can rent a penthouse for the night." Will announced as he popped on his sunglasses and folded the map back to the perfect mold.

Charles and Richard looked bewildered. "Penthouse! He better be paying for all that on his own." Richard muttered as he aimed a piece of French fries at his cousin's head. It missed, of course.


	11. Chapter 10

At the hotel

"What the devil are you doing on my laptop? For that matter how did you even unlock it?" Bingley spluttered as he came out of the bathroom, his hand working to dry his hair with the soft white towel, to see Richard surfing on his Mac.

"Don't worry. It's not porn. Melissa won't see anything suspicious in your browser history. Just needed an address. Looking for that" Rick said as he continued to type feverishly "As for your passwords, ridiculously easy to guess."

"Charlie," William called out from the door as he came in and tossed a box towards Bingley. "Your engagement gift." Charlie caught it with ease and began unwrapping it like a kid under the Christmas tree. What he saw boggled him. "Patek Philippe. A real Patek Philippe!" he whispered furiously under his breath as he stared at the masterpiece staring back at him from the innocuous box.

"No way,Will. This timepiece costs almost 70,000 euros. Are you sure you want to hand it over to ME?" Charles asked reluctantly. He did not know if he would actually return it to Will even if he asked him to give it back. It was a coveted edition. Meanwhile, Darcy looked on embarrassed. He was not counting on Bing knowing the price of the luxurious item.

"SEVENTY THOUSAND EUROS?" Richard shouted and he shoved the laptop unceremoniously onto the sofa. "Show it to me" he demanded much akin to the manner of a dear relative who was rarely thought of in a positive light. "and you were tossing it around like a 7 euro toy." He chided Will.

Richard next took his own watch off his wrist. He kept both the watches (his own and the Patek Philippe) onto the coffee table and peered at them closely.

"What are you doing?" William asked amused.

"Nope. Both of them show the same time and neither could this Patek Phillipe take me back in time nor to the future. Thank you, but I'd rather stick with my 70 euro watch. At least I don't have to worry about someone cutting my wrist off for a watch." He said placing his own wrist watch back to its original position. The other two burst into laughter immediately on hearing his last statement.

"Though just so you know, I love cars, Will. C-A-R-S. Also, my birthday is coming up next month. I wouldn't mind getting a similar gift. I heard a new model of Aston Martin is being launched soon." He hinted.

William grinned. "I would buy you the entire series if you would accept them. You know your parents would love to give you .." he trailed off as Richard sobered and his smile became a bit strained.

"Well, now that we are all refreshed, how about a stroll through the 'Las Ramblas'. " cut in Charles to diffuse the tension permeating through the air. It went unsaid that his attempt at acquiring the Spanish accent failed immeasurably.

"How about you two head down? I have a conference call in twenty minutes though I will join you for dinner" came the magnanimous offer from you-guessed-it- Will-freaking-Darcy.

"Actually, even I am feeling kind of low. Jet lag and all.. Perhaps a nap would cure it all" Richard said morosely sending everybody into shock. Richard Fitzwilliam, saying no to a-street-that-never-sleeps. It was a singular event. William narrowed his eyes. It was a short flight from Greece. Plus, it was a well-known fact in the family, at least, that the Fitzwilliam clan never suffered from jet lag. Bingley looked like a kicked puppy. Suddenly his phone rang. 'Melissa' flashed on the screen. He sighed. " Guess I can't go either." He said so and turned around to attend the call from _the love of his life._

Will entered his bedroom and powered on his laptop. He was typing rapidly but then stopped suddenly. There was a familiar emotion nagging his conscience. An emotion he had tried to bottle up for so long but which always ended up spilling out of its container. Guilt. William Darcy was no stranger to it. He felt it everyday. He had learnt to live with it. Regrets, he had many. If given a chance to change it all, he would grab perhaps not. Those decisions made him who he was today. But at what cost? We'd never know for sure.

He sighed and closed the lid of his laptop and plopped onto his bed as he stared at the canopy. Too much of self reflection could not be good for health. He thought and laughed sardonically.

Decision taken, he picked up his phone."Rowlson, I want you to postpone the meeting by at least 4 hours. I have an urgent task that requires my personal attention."

Will looked at the busy street. It was a beautiful sight. The cacophony of noises, the hustle and bustle, the shining lights; it all seemed so mystical. Judging by the jumping redhead by his side, he would have to say that Charles shared his opinion.

"Where is Richard?" he asked as he lost sight of him in the crowd. "The last I saw of him was when he was flirting with some floozy at the previous shop." Think of the devil and the devil is there!

There he was. Richard Fitzwilliam walking towards them..no ..swaggering, his hands in his pockets and a whistling tune on his lips. From his pocket, he took out two pieces of paper and handed one each to the two men who looked unimpressed with his attitude. "See that and bow before the 'love guru' boys."

Charles read the scrap of paper in his hand and saw a local number, that was barely decipherable, written on it. In a rare display of savagery, he tore the paper to bits and thrust the torn shreds into Richard's hands as the artist stared dumbfounded. William was quite silent despite his amusement. His expression was a weird combination of irritation and embarrassment. The reddening if his ears forced Charlie into action and he pried the chit from Will's fingers. He read it and promptly burst out laughing.

"Did you even read them before handing them over to us?" he asked Richard in between breaths as he doubled over in laughter again.

"No. What is written on it?" he huffed.

"Apparently your paramour has her eyes set on William boy here." Richard's brow furrowed. "That was a pretty lewd message by the way." He read out something about 'one night spanish rendezvous for brown haired sexy men with a British accent as she promised to deliver the best night of his life' If it was possible, William's ears burnt brighter and Richard grumbled about the unfairness of life.

A/N: The Bennets will appear in the next chapter.


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: Again, I thank you all for the heartwarming responses. I apologise for the delay but college does get to you. Procrastination bites you really bad. I think I have replied to every review; however, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the guest reviewers as well, especially **Lynned13** for the continuous support.

Also, the Bennet sisters are finally here. :)

* * *

"I am not driving if you two keep bickering like five year old kids" growled one Charles Bingley at the two menaces, one of whom was perched on the passenger seat beside him and the other had his head poking in from the backseat, though he was practically kneeling onto the floor in an effort to stave off his artistic cousin's barbs. Said kids scowled.

As they drove through the meandering road, Richard felt the beauty of the region envelop him in a tight embrace. Bounded on both the sides by lush greenery and partially screened by brush, the wilderness was beguiling . The trees further ahead rose high in the sky, their canopies seemed to form a net over him.

He wondered about the wonders of this world as he wandered through the memories of eons ago, when all three of them were kids, when despite the constant bickering there was a certain respite. Nonetheless now there was an undercurrent of bitterness in their discussion..no fight. Something was bothering William Darcy and that something was related to him (Richard). Yet he couldn't be bothered with it. He had his demons to fight and one of them had its base in Spain itself.

* * *

"Toothbrush?"

"Check"

"Sun screen?"

"Check"

"Toga"

"Check"

There stood the blonde beauty with her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised in a manner reminiscent to her sister. Jane Bennet was not amused. "Lizzy, are you even checking it?"

Her sister was lounging on the carpet, a copy of Mansfield Park in her hand and a pencil tucked behind her ear. She kept her book down and faced the otherwise serene angel.

"Jane, we have already been through that list two times now.I don't think the elves would come and take my toothbrush away in the middle of the night." The amusement was clear in her voice on seeing her sister's incessant worrying.

The eldest Bennet blushed. "I know. I only feel guilty that I had to decline your request to join you."

"Oh, Janie! Don't feel guilty. Those tiny tots need you more than I do. Plus, Mom would be happy to have her darling daughter all to herself in the absence of the menace kids"

* * *

"You lazy sod! Get up. I didn't let you sit beside me so that you could sleep." Richard nudged Charles with his foot, his hands busy on the steering wheel.

Meanwhile, William Darcy sat in the back with his laptop propped up in his lap and a Bluetooth earpiece attached to his ear as he spoke to Mrs R brusquely.

Charlie grumbled about Morpheus' enemies. He turned around to complain to Will and immediately his expression turned to exasperation.

"WE ARE ON A VACATION, FITZWILLIAM ANDREW DARCY. Put those papers back or I swear on all that is holy that I will burn your briefcase and have a bonfire party."

The other two companions were shocked on seeing the placid man's outburst. Darcy, still stupefied and surprised, complied.

"Honestly I am starting to feel like Ross here with the way we shout 'WE ARE ON A VACATION' and the way he spoke-'WE WERE ON A BREAK' constantly." Richard's jab was unheeded.

"We are just about to reach there. Also, I am renting a new car tomorrow. This one is way too cramped." Darcy said after a few minutes of silence as he tried to stretch his legs in the confined space.

"Well I 'm sorry, your highness but I could not acquire a mustang for you on such a short notice" was the sarcastic response of a certain Fitzwilliam. The little twitch of lips was the only sign of Darcy's amusement. The rest of the journey was accompanied by silence with the occasional whisper of wind in their ears.

"Ah! There is the villa." Bingley pointed towards large white villa built in the Victorian style. The two storey cottage had an exterior made up of white stone lending it a charming facade. They drove the car through an intricately styled gate that had vines wrapped around it.

The three of them got out of the car and took the luggage out of the boot. The stairways lead to a wrap-around front porch decked with turned wood. As they proceeded towards the door, it was suddenly opened by a woman in her 50s whose face bespoke of her kindness. The wrinkles around her eyes and mouth lent her a benevolent disposition that complimented the cheery character she possessed.

"Welcome to Costa Brava, sirs. I am Julia White, the housekeeper of Netherfield."

"Thank you, Mrs White. We are definitely grateful for your presence. Had we been left to our own devices, you surely would have found a burnt villa on your return" laughed Bingley. The housekeeper instantly liked this jovial young man.

"Very well sirs. I think you would like to rest now after that arduous journey. Meanwhile, I will prepare your meals. Any preferences, sirs?"

"Spaghetti would do." Darcy contributed to the conversation. Richard looked baffled. They were in Spain. Surely F. Darcy wouldn't mind if they ate Spanish delicacies but he remained silent. Mrs. White nodded and the three of them moved to explore the house and then towards their respective rooms.

"I had fallen in love with this place as soon as I saw its pictures on the internet. I confess this villa was one of the reasons why I chose Costa Brava. It is no Pemberley for sure but it resonates with me" opened up Charlie. Darcy patted his back in approval as Richard got a whimsical look in his eye.

The house was blessed with spectacular cornicing on the ground and first floors. The floors were adorned with pinewood. Each of the Villa's four sumptuously furnished guest accommodations had a private bath and an authentic antique touch to it. Charles Bingley had good taste.

Perhaps the magic of this house would help them to mend their broken friendship and fill up those cracks to regain what once was cherished fiercely by all the three musketeers.


	13. Chapter 12

a/n: Here is a quick update. LIZZY'S HERE!

When the three of them were eating their meals, Richard spoke up "So, what do we do we for now? I'm not in a mood for going somewhere far".

"I heard there is a beach nearby. We can walk there and unwind for the evening." Bingley replied.

Darcy looked up from his bowl to see two faces staring intently at him. "What?" he asked bewildered.

Richard said in a saccharine voice "Does the plan meet you approval, your royal-pain-in-the-ass highness? Or do you have another meeting to attend?" Darcy's lips twitched, again. "Well if you insist to drag me along.." he finished in a long suffering voice.

It was a beautiful panorama. The water was as clear as a shining crystal. The sun shone brightly into the abyss drenching everybody with rays of cheer and abandon. The feel of sand under his feet was liberating. Fitzwilliam Darcy was at peace. It was like he was alone on an island with no obstructions that needed his attention. He reveled in the caress of the wind that whispered secrets in his ears. Suddenly, a shriek pierced his bubble and he was forced back into the world of reality. Bingley was pointing at something. His finger was shaking and his face changed colours as his eyes were as wide as saucers. Behind him, Richard Fitzwilliam looked on with a scowl. In spite of shades covering his eyes, William could see what his cousins' eyes spoke of. He looked down to the source of Charles' fright. It was a briefcase. In his hand.

"That's a briefcase."

"Congrats Charles. You know what a briefcase is."  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING CARRYING A BRIEFCASE TO THE BEACH, DARCY?"

"The safe answer would be that the bag is full of bikinis and you plan to sell them here." Richard advised his cousin.

"I did warn you Charles. I got a call from Mrs. R just as we were about to leave. Maddison botched up the Clarks' case and I need to review it before they let go of the deal entirely." He spoke softly as if speaking to a cornered animal. " I just cannot abandon my work altogether. I have some responsibilities.." he trailed off on seeing Richard scoff.

"How about we go down for a swim Charles? We can pretend that we do not know this sod. Look, I see some girls playing volleyball there. We can ourselves in. You should have some fun on your bachelor trip,man" he said, trying to keep the bitterness in his voice at bay.

"You cannot just intrude their game."

"Ooh I won't intrude. They would invite us. Watch me." With that Richard Fitzwilliam steers hold of his friend's shoulders and dragged him off towards his destination, his Casanov-ic panache on full display.

The words- Barney and Ted came to Darcy's mind as he watched the two saunter off. He knew he was upsetting Charles but the truth was that he was ill at ease in an informal setting at a new place. He did not have the social abilities that his friends possessed. The business world provided him with a shield to hide to hide from the nasty world out there. His business desk was his safe haven though he ignored the fact that his haven felt lonely and incomplete at the best of times.

The soft lapping of the waves, the sound of children splashing about as they shrieked with laughter brought out the feelings of nostalgia in the deep recesses of his mind. That last summer, full of glee and intemperance, before his world had spun on its axis and shattered into pieces. Seated on the beach chair, for the first time he found himself devoid of full concentration. Instead his attention was drawn towards the small family lounging on the mat. A little girl of around five, was trying to build a sand castle and dragging her amused father around to gather more materials. A woman who was most probably her mother was trying to capture that moment in her camera and simultaneously, convince the reluctant boy of seven to put on sunscreen. Will felt a pang in his heart as he remembered a time long ago when he was in a similar situation. Oh how he ran around with abandon as his mother ran after him. With a wistful sigh, he turned back to his laptop. There was no point thinking about the times that could never come back and would only cause more longing in his soul. Unfortunately, the scene in front of him was too charming to ignore and he found his eyes returning back to the frolics of the youngsters again and again. Finally giving up to his inattention, he shut down his laptop and shoved it back into his bag. He looked around and his eyes were arrested on a young woman lying ten feet away from him. She had a book open in her hands and the wind kissed her ankles that were suspended into the air. Now, he could not see her face, just her toned and slightly tanned back but he knew intuitively that she would be a sight to behold. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the two children whom he had seen earlier running towards the woman. Their eyes, however were fixed on the football that was being rolled between them. The young girl was running after her older brother on her short legs trying to just shoot the ball into the air. Hence, she did not fathom what the end of the trajectory due to her non-existent aim would result in. Suddenly the ball was launched into the air and SMACK!

Twin expressions of horror were etched onto the tiny faces. The girl looked ready to burst into tears when she saw that the ill-aimed ball landed on a woman's lower back. The same woman, whom Darcy had been eyeing. Well, now that finely sculpted back had been splayed with sand. A surge of protectiveness towards the wee girl bubbled within Darcy. He got up to defend the kids from the woman's vicious manners. For surely, she would rebuke the children for being careless and running about like hoydens, ruining her spotless skin and swimsuit.

However to his surprise, the woman turned over and the loveliest laugh he had ever heard emerged from her throat. She stood up and picking up the ball said teasingly "Now, which of you two miscreants was responsible for this showering of sand, my dear sir and madam?"

Fitzwilliam felt his breath catch in his throat. She was loveliness personified. It seemed as if every feature on her face was carved with great care by the Almighty despite the slight asymmetry. In the end though it was her eyes that had him spellbound. Even from that distance, he could see the emeralds in them, glistening with good humor and intelligence. While the London society would not call her exquisite, in his domain of artifice, she was like a breath of fresh hair. He had always been attracted to girls who wore minimal make up and let their inner beauty and simplicity shine through. The mahogany curls on her head beckoned him and tempted him to run his fingers through their wavy paths. Those hair strands were now definitely a home to a lot of sand particles. He was impressed by her composure. Most girls of his acquaintance would have screeched and stomped their feet at the moment but there she stood chatting with the two children and soothing their worries.

"I may forgive you. On one condition" Elizabeth said after a long pause relishing the anticipation that was exuded by her new friends. The children looked on with apprehension in their eyes as they wondered what this sweet lady would demand. "You will have to include me in this little game of beach football" she finally said as the children shrieked out in joy on gaining a new playmate. Elizabeth Bennet, or Lizzy as she was known to most of her friends had landed in Costa Brava just an hour ago and decided to venture to the nearby beach immediately after a small lunch. In her hand was her one true companion- the age old copy of 'Anna Karenina'. Finding a good spot, she unrolled her mat and rested down on her stomach drowning in the words of Tolstoy.


	14. Chapter 13

Elizabeth Bennet or Lizzy, as she was fondly called by her dear ones was the second of five sisters from Meryton. She grew up in a loud house with constant hustle-bustle but never could it be said that she was deprived of affection. She did not come from a very rich family but never resented the part time jobs she had to do to pay her tuition. Mr. Bennet was a professor of English Literature at Longbourn University and it went unsaid that his love for Literature was inherited by his favorite daughter. Although he earned enough to keep food on their table and a roof over their heads, his wife was never really satisfied. Mrs. Bennet always bemoaned the lack of riches in her life. She had always wanted to marry a man of means but had fallen in love with the quiet and sarcastic nerd in her class. Theirs was a typical American love story. As soon as they graduate, they got married and were blessed with a beautiful serene girl with blond curls. Within two years, Jane was gifted with a new sister who was her polar opposite in disposition. She entered the world kicking and screaming and vowed to go in the same manner. This was followed by the birth of three more daughters, all of them beautiful and smart in their own ways. How so many people can have the same genes but so varying personalities is a matter of much marvel. For it was a well known fact in the small town of Meryton that no two Bennet sisters could be called similar in attitude and temperament. The eldest, Jane Bennet was the classic English rose with a tall, willowy figure and blonde hair that fell over blushing cheeks. Her blue eyes were always like a silent and calm sea unlike her sister's whose emerald eyes always had a storm brewing within. Many a boys had lost their hearts to the blond angel. Jane's attitude matched her personality and according to her best friend which was incidentally her sister- Elizabeth, she was the reincarnation of some long lost relative of Mother Teresa. So it was to no one's surprise when Jane declared her intention to become a kindergarten teacher. No profession was more suited to Jane or rather no other teacher was as suited to that profession as Jane. No other person could be as kind and patient as her in the face of what Elizabeth called 'brattish kids with their snotty noses'. Mary Bennet was the third and probably the most misunderstood sister. While she may appear as a recluse, in truth she was extremely shy. She was not very fond of large groups and as a result, found solace in her piano. She was doing her master's in music at Longbourn, the local uni. Then came the youngest of the bunch, the menace twins-Lydia and Kitty. In spirit, the two of them were a bit similar though in looks- they gave a new definition to fraternal twins. Yet their sense of fashion was same as any trend crazy teenager or simply everything that is short, skimpy and sparkles. While Kitty was quite an artist and looked forward to do a major in art, Lydia was merely interested in boys and clubs.

Yes, her family was crazy. Yes, sometimes it felt like they all belonged to some wild jungle and were descended from Tarzan (apart from Jane, of course) but Lizzy would not trade them for anything in the world.

 **Present day- back to the beach**

Soon the brunette joined the two little squirts in their game of soccer. Laughs emerged from the group of misfits at periodic intervals as Lizzy tried to distract her new friends from her teasing her about her atrocious skills at soccer. Darcy was enchanted.

"How was the swim?" he asked on seeing his comrades return.  
"Extremely refreshing. You should take a dip" replied Charles. Darcy merely hmmed and pretended to type on his laptop. Richard Fitz caught onto the fleeting glances the solemn man threw towards the little group of misfits playing soccer. A comely brunette stood in the middle of the group, flailing her feet about in the sand trying to control the ball. Richard could see why his reclusive cousin was entranced. .Just Fitzwilliam's type and judging by the intelligence in her enticing eyes, his cousin just may become smitten. He would have taken a chance with her himself, truly he would have but after what happened with Emilia, he could not risk it. Then again, Rich was also aware of his cousin's propensity towards these situations. He will not take any action unless provoked, pushed and prodded. A wicked idea entered his mind. Perhaps this trip would end with just one single man.

With that in mind, he strolled towards the enchantress who was now packing her belongings, as he dubbed in a deliberate slow manner that he knew would aggravate William.

"Woah—woah, I saw her first!" William shouted agitated. He could not bear to see a repeat of the Emilia fiasco.

"True. That does not mean that she saw you first as well" and with that Richard Fitzwilliam ran to his destination as Will looked on shocked at his audacity.

"He won't just go and take a stranger out to dinner, will he?" he asked Bingley, who for some matter found the situation to be very amusing. Said man shrugged in reply.

"Is that a copy of Anna Karenina?" Richard pointed a hand at the book Lizzy was putting in her duffel.

"Yeah. It is a pretty old copy, I'm afraid" she replied referring to the battered condition of the relic in her hand. Let it be said that Elizabeth Bennet was much accomplished at conversation with strangers. She loved meeting new people. Each one of them roused her curiosity with their diverse personalities. This man in front of her seemed just how she liked people- funny, idiotic and ready to talk to just about anybody- even a woman half buried in sand but most importantly, he recognized a work of Tolstoy!

"Have you read it?" she prodded.

"Oh yeah." He made a face. "Forced to read in English Lit. in high school. One of the most boring classes." Or perhaps, not so much her type, after all. "I'm Richard, by the way." She smiled at the endearing man.

"Elizabeth Bennet" Now Lizzy was a proficient conversationalist. However this time she decided to test the man in front of her. Her eyes glimmered with an unknown secret as if she knew Rick Fitzwilliam's intentions. After his appalling opinion of her favorite book, she wanted to know if he was a jester with a brain or just another Collins. Billy Collins was her senior in high school who had it in his twisted mind to make her his wife. Who needs the bride's permission though?

"Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?" Richard asked in his most charming manner, his voice just a bit sultry and his head tilted by a small angle to one side with a lock of hair in front of his right eye.

Elizabeth pursed her lips to reign in the laughter. "The latter- but this time, don't stop." Richard stood stumped for a moment and then promptly burst into peals of laughter and was joined by Lizzy.

"You know, I haven't heard a worse pick-up line since my sophomore year."

"Well my lady, then I'll have to keep practicing until you fall head over heels for me." Lizzy gave him a smirk, daring him.

On the other end, William seethed on seeing the two of them joking and snickering about as if they were age old friends. What had started as a nice and pleasant day was turning sour. But why did he care about an unknown girl? Maybe she was not so special after all. If she could succumb to Richard's charms so easily and go out with him; she must be a common hussy. Another Caroline. Just another woman. Just like all those money-grubbers in his circle. He wouldn't let some nameless bimbo ruin his day. He'd think no more of her. A small pang in his heart suggested otherwise but William Darcy was adept in thwarting foolish emotions.


	15. Chapter 14

A/N: So I'm back(sheepish grin). I apologize for the delay. Uni is damn hectic. My thanks to all the people who have stayed onto the story for so long.

Recap: Richard is speaking with Lizzy at the beach.. Meanwhile Darcy watches on, jealous.

* * *

"Why don't you join us guys for a drink?" Richard asked indicating his two friends, one of whom reminded Lizzy of Clifford with his tail hand waving and red hair. While the other one, well the other one can easily find himself a space in those museums with Greek statues. Charlie had the ever present smile on his face. Similarly, William had the ever present scowl on his face. "Umm, no. I am not about to join a stranger for a drink in a new country even if he is extremely handsome with a winsome charm. Thank you very much." She laughed. Elizabeth's smile dimmed on seeing this expression of derision and hostility on the dashing man's face. Perhaps it is the sand on my clothes and hair, she thought as she patted her hair.

"I have a scuba diving assignment tomorrow. I have to get up early" Elizabeth spoke hesitantly.

"Scuba-diving? Wow. I'm impressed, milady. Here, I was thinking a force of nature pulled you towards me and you were in this region solely for my company. But, scuba diving? Do tell"

The grin returned to face with full force. Scuba diving was her favorite thing to talk about, apart from dear Jane, of course. "Well, I'm a certified scuba diving instructor. My fondest childhood memories are of the ocean. Every summer, I come here to share my love for this sport" she said and her eyes returned to their usual jovial intensity with every word. With that, she waved her hand in goodbye and walked away briskly.

Richard returned back to his group, in his typical manner. Smug attitude and smirk on display in BOLD letters.

"Lizzy darling is besotted with me."

* * *

Cutting through the tension in the air, came the soothing ringtone of William's mobile phone. He answered gruffly. "Yes, Mr. Woodhouse. I have gone over the details of the contract and emailed you the changes to be made." A condescending voice was heard from the other end.

"I don't care what they think. I know I want this project done and over with before the month ends." He almost growled the last sentence into the phone.

"Will he be like this during the entire trip? God, I wish somebody throws that phone away" Charles spoke looking up at the sky, pleading with the universe to knock some sense into his stoic friend. Richard nodded and went to stand next to William.  
In one moment, he snatched Will's phone from his hand and in the next moment, flung it as far as he could into the wild waters. For a change, both William and Charles sported identical expressions. Mouth hung open with wide eyes. Richard was almost tempted to capture it in his lens.  
Bingley looked to and fro between his had gone mental. Didn't he realize what he had done? Will would murder him and judging by the rapidly changing color of William's face, he would either need to help hide a body or testify in the court. Either way, he was preparing to bolt.

Meanwhile, William stood there flabbergasted. He was so shocked it took him a minute to articulate a proper response. "Are you insane?" he shouted attracting the passerby's attention but he was far too angry to care.  
"I WANT MY PHONE BACK, you moron. I don't care if you have to swim all the way to the Atlantic" he looked ready to throttle his cousin. Richard looked amused. He was used to his cousin's rants.  
"Don't be ridiculous Will. We'll buy you a new phone. Richard is clearly sorry. Just let it go." Charles placated his friend.

"I'm not sorry." Richard cut in tranquilly but then all of a sudden, his voice adopted an undertone of impatience and resentment. "Your phone calls and business conferences are ruining our fun, Darce. For a change, try not to be so selfish. I thought you had learnt your lesson with Georgie" Richard took a deep breath to calm himself. He knew he had gone too far when William turned stiff and his expression closed off entirely. There was the tick in his jaw that reminded him of Uncle Darcy when he got cross with Aunt Catherine.  
"Look, I was joking about the phone thing. For what it's worth, I apologize but other than that I stand justified. Back me up here, Bing. I was just fulfilling your wish." Charles floundered like a fish out of water when he was dragged into the argument.

"Well, it's not funny Richard. Grow up! High school got over 10 years ago. Then again, I don't expect you to understand what responsibility means even if it hits you in the face." This was a low blow and Richard never did have much of a lid on his patience.

"Damn you Fitzwilliam Darcy! You think you are so high and mighty. We both know that you are just upset over the brunette with pretty eyes, not the phone. Don't blow the issue over."

"You always did go after my girls, Richard. EMILIA WAS MY GIRLFRIEND but what you don't understand is that the joke was on you when you slept with her."

"I was drunk" he said with an air of someone who was tired of having the same conversation over and over again. "She told me you two had broken up, not that it excuses the misdeed. I accept I did wrong by you. How many times should I apologize, dammit?" By the last sentence Rick matched the decibels in his cousin's voice.

"Emilia was a b*tch. She just wanted money and sex. She had slept with half the school by graduation. Both of you were stupid to get involved with her. She was worse than Caroline and that's saying something. Plus, that incident happened over eight years ago. LET IT REST!" Charles was trying to catch his breath after this uncharacteristic display. He had seen this go on long enough. Fitzwilliam had distanced himself from the group after Richard got drunk and gave into the advances of his girlfriend and boy, Fitzwilliam Darcy liked to hold onto grudges. When no further sound was produced by the two cousins, Charles turned to Richard "Rick, if Fitzwilliam likes this Lizzy, let it go. It's rare enough to see him interested in somebody of the opposite sex. You can find yourself some floozy."  
"I don't like this Lizzy. What sort of name is Lizzy, anyway? She is just another bimbo, spending her sugar daddy's money here. Though she hardly has the looks to get a rich sugar daddy. She is just as immature and stupid as you Richard, though I think that even you could do better" he finished scathingly.  
What he had failed to notice was that said immature women had heard his comments. In fact, all the people within ten feet had heard his comments. Her cheeks burnt in humiliation but then she straightened her spine and lifted her chin. Who was this arrogant ass to judge her? He may be the most handsome man in a hundred mile radius, but he had a personality of curdled milk. She refused to be bested by him. He had no right to make her feel ashamed. She had sacrificed a lot in life to reach this point. She stood on her own feet without any of her parents' money. Her eyes burnt with fire as they she vowed to put this man a notch down. Any by-stander would agree that with her eyes burning so brightly- 'ella es hermosa'.


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Your reviews keep me going people. I was dead on my feet when I typed this. So, please let me know if there are any mistakes.**

They gathered in the living room after dinner. Richard was again surfing on the laptop, his own laptop for a change, with a mysterious look on his face and a solemn expression in his eyes. Darcy sat opposite him with his eyes trained on the book in his hand.  
"Stop making that noise, Charles" Darcy snapped.

Charles looked confused. "I'm not doing anything."

"Oh! But you are breathing. I CAN hear you" quipped Richard.

"That annoying texting sound. Also, Richard is correct. You are breathing very loudly. Be quiet, will you?"

Charles got up and went out of the room, irritated after getting a barrage of messages from Melissa who demanded to know his each and every move.

Richard looked amused. Fitzwilliam Darcy was generally annoyed with the world but today, he was livid. Everything was wrong. The lights were too bright. The clock moved too slowly. The fragrance was too sweet. The clicking sound of the keyboard was grating his nerves. The world was definitely out for the owner of the Darcy Corporations. What bugged him most though was the fact that Richard and Charles seemed to have a bloody good time while he mopped around the periphery with a cloud of perpetual gloom and loneliness hanging over his head. After their tempers had cooled down after the 'beach debacle', the three had an awkward dinner.  
He was broken out of his musings by the sound of clinking of wine glasses He looked up to find Charles with a bottle of red wine in one hand, juggling with three glasses in the other hand.  
"Ah! Girls and wine. All in one day, I can stay in Spain forever." retorted Richard with false excitement as he shut down his HP device. Charles poured a healthy amount if alcohol in all three glasses and passed two of them along to his co-travelers. He seated himself beside Richard on the couch.

"Here is proposing to a trip filled with fun and laughter, much as they seem to repel Darce, as we begin our adventure tomorrow" Charles raised his glass as the other two chuckled and clinked their glasses in toast.

"So, will you reveal the mystery task now?" asked Richard taking a healthy sip of the heady wine.

Bingley's eyes glittered as he moved forward to reveal the secret of his adventurous task. Darcy felt a sudden foreboding feeling at the back of his mind.

"Gentlemen be prepared, for you are about to experience a glorious event at the new dawn. Tomorrow, we begin our training for" he took a long pause and gulped a generous amount of liquor. Unconsciously, William found himself leaning forward in his seat, his eyes tight in anticipation while Richard looked raptured. "Deep sea diving". Charles declared and Richard roared with laughter. Fitzwilliam Darcy had turned as white as a sheet. He sat there with a frozen expression. His eyes were wide in horror and his mouth hung agape. "You're not serious, Charles" he beseeched, not that he'd ever admit to pleading.

"Oh, but I am Darce. You cannot back out" he warned. "Don't worry, I have hired an experienced scuba driver to prepare us. The scuba diving company is extremely reputed in this region and assured me that she is one of the best in the field. You are in safe hands"

Darcy looked unconvinced but he knew that he had no choice. It was a well known fact among his friends that William Darcy had no affinity with deep water. He did not hold any aversion to swimming but as soon as his head went under the water, he felt panic grip his nerves. The swimming pool at his townhouse was only six feet deep and most of the time he avoided going beyond waist level. Anything beyond that forced him to flee. He took deep breaths to calm himself down. Perhaps he could feign illness and avoid the task altogether but one look at Bingley and his plan went down the drain. Charles Bingley's look said it all. You have to comply or he'll drag you around a like sack if he has to. William's resigned expression made Richard smirk. He could almost rub his hands in glee. It was rare to see his stoic cousin being forced to do something he despised.

"It's okay, Will. Don't you worry child. Should you drown, I will happily take over your company and management and of course, your townhouse as well. Ownership of Pemberley goes to me without saying." Richard jested.

"Dibs on his fleet of cars." Responded Charles.

William glared at the two of them. "I see. This was your plan all along. Kill me on this trip and then take away my fortune."

"Alas! He has discovered our plot, Charles. We need to resort to Plan B."

"Which one was it again? The one to smother him in his sleep or was it the one to poison his wine?"

"NO. That was Plan C and D. Plan B was giving Caroline access to his bedroom while he sleeps."

Darcy had enough. "Well, this evening has been a blast. After this very reassuring discussion about my continuing good health, I find myself extremely tired. Excuse me."

He plonked the glass onto the table, taking no heed of the spilled wine. In the next minute, he was jogging across the hallway to his bedroom. Then a better idea struck his head. He retraced his path to the living room, picked up the unfinished glass of wines and tipped it over Charlie's head. Had it been an alternate dimension, he would have joined in with Richard's chortling but now not even Charles' resemblance to a gaping fish could induce hilarity in him. As he peddled out of the room, he saw his cousin take out his phone to capture the moment and seal it in his memory, err cloud.

It is gonna be a long long night. Darcy thought as he looked into the mirror to see tired and agitated eyes staring back at him. Yet, somehow the picture of a shocked Bingley with wined dripping from his hair onto his clothes made him chuckle. It suddenly stopped, when bright emerald eyes flashed before him.

 **Thanks for reading. Please leave a review.**


	17. Chapter 16

It was dark all around him. Yet he could see the figures surrounding him- small and beautiful. Fishes. He realized with a start and with that, he was falling. He flailed his limbs around. Something was pulling him down. He tried to propel himself up. The gravitational force had multiplied ten forth. He clenched his fists as if to grab a rope but his hands groped only at water. He was choking. Panic clouded his mind and he could not breathe. He legs felt like lead. He tried to yell but his throat did not yield any sound. He remembered the lessons - spring from the bottom of the pool and come like a cork to the surface, lie flat on the water, strike out with his arms, and thrash with his legs. And then sheer, stark terror seized him, terror that knows no understanding or control. He did not have the energy to fight the darkness creeping along his vision. He gave up. By now,the obscurity seemed welcoming and he wanted to embrace the peace accompanied with it. Just before he felt the tenebrosity envelop him, he saw a flash of green. Bright emerald, his a voice whispered. And then his eyes closed.

William woke up with a gasp. His heart felt like it was trying to climb out of his chest. His breathing was labored and sweat matted his forearms. More beads of perspiration were visible on his forehead as the panic was yet to recede. His eyes were wild with fear and confusion as he looked around, trying to make sense of the unfamiliar surroundings. He legs were tangled up in the bed covers and his mouth was extremely dry.  
Slowly, rational thought crept in. Dream. He closed his eyes in relief. It was just a dream, albeit a very vivid one. He tried to calm himself down. Ghosts of the past still haunted him. Deep breaths, William. He chanted reverentially.  
When the trembling stopped, he reached for his alarm clock. 7:15, it read in bold. He knew he would not get any more sleep. Perhaps he could find some solace with a cup of coffee.

By ten o' clock, all three of them were ready to go. Darcy had tried to prolong his ablutions and all the other chores. He had even tried to tamper with the plumbing, burn the breakfast and as a last resort, pretended to slip on the floor. However, it was as if Charlie could read his mind before he could carry out any of his nefarious plots to completion.

He clenched his fists and tried to reassure himself. 'I can do this. I'm Fitzwilliam f***ing Darcy. I'm not scared of some water. Couldn't be worse than Aunt Catherine's attempt at singing.'

He gulped because as much as he tried, he could not lie to himself. He was damn terrified. There, he admitted it.  
At once, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around. There stood Richard, with sympathy written on his face though his eyes shone in mild amusement at his cousin's discomfort.

"It is okay, Will. You don't have to do it if you don't want to though that will be admitting defeat. You look bloody petrified. We want you to enjoy the trip, not dread it. I know your reasons and they are perfectly reasonable. No one sane would call you foolish if you back out. I'll speak with Charlie and I'm sure he would understand. You should sit out if you are so uncomfortable."

Darcy was floored. He had never expected this from his cousin. For Richard to willingly give him this chance meant a lot. "Thank you Richard" He cleared his throat before taking a deep sigh. "I'm sorry, I cannot participate. I just cannot. I tried to convince myself, come to terms with everything but.." he broke off and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Richard merely gave him an understanding nod and a comforting squeeze of his shoulder.

Like Richard said, Charlie complied in the end. He pouted for a while but then patted his friend on the back and said "First my engagement and now this, eh Will? You owe me for the rest of my life." He smiled as Darcy grinned, relieved; taking comfort in the knowledge that he was off the hook.

They walked towards their destination. The diving school had suggested a secluded area not near the main beach. Apparently, it was almost cut-off from the rest of the main area and was situated just over a rocky terrain that involved a bit of a strenuous walk. The cliffs and the huge rocks around the wild waves made it unsuitable for picnic. It suited the three men just fine.

William Darcy could not deny that it was a beautiful spot when they trekked down to the small area. The sea water was a clear blue and it produced massive waves that lapped at the bountiful terrain. He could see the birds circling in the sky, their wings flapping about against the wind. Charles and Richard looked on, similarly entranced at the natural wonder while they waited for the diving instructor to grace them with her presence.

"Charles Bingley?" a familiar voice called out and the three of them turned around, though the other two were not as fast as Darcy who nearly had a crick in his neck due to the whirlwind movement. There stood a pretty young woman standing with a giant rucksack on her back.

"Lizzy?" Richard called out and jogged forward to shake her hand.

"What are you doing here?"

"I have an appointment with a Mr. Bingley." She looked at the other two men flanking Richard. Something in her gut told her that the handsome git with those intense blue eyes was not Charles Bingley.

A red head with a smile on his face and good humor in his eyes moved forth to shake her hand.

"Hi, I'm Charles Bingley and I'm assuming you are Ms. Bennet."

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 **A/N: I'll try to update as soon as possible, hopefully within the next week. Thanks for reading. All reviews and favorites/follows are much appreciated.**


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: I am really sorry for the wait. I was abroad and forgot my notebook back home. Thanks for all the support. Every single review, favorite/follow is much appreciated.**

Elizabeth was not immune to the school boy charm emitted by the Bingley heir. She returned his wide smile and relied in affirmative.

"Hi, I am Elizabeth Bennet and I'll be your diving instructor. I was informed that this will be your first time underwater." Charlie nodded in confirmation.

"Very well, then be prepared for an experience of a lifetime. It is extremely beautiful down under the water. I'm sure you guys will have fun" she spoke zealously with a passionate glimmer in her eyes that bespoke of her love for the sport and at the same time tried her hardest to ignore the penetrating stare of the mesmerizing jerk. Meanwhile, Darcy was captivated by the vivacity in the girl's expressions. Her eyes danced in the sunlight. Her hands moved about in the air, trying to mimic the passion in her words. He was doomed.

Richard noticed his cousin's attention or rather lack of attention. He shoved William causing the young man to come out of the spell and lose his balance. "Lizzy, this grave man here is William Darcy, our third partner in crime and regrettably, my cousin." William did not offer his hand for the fear of clasping her but merely nodded his head. Now, as was cited by Miss Jane Austen- our beloved heroine took offense at this neglectful gesture our dear hero. In her mind, he was a rude and arrogant jerk who did not deserve a minute of her time. However, unlike Miss Austen's Elizabeth, this Elizabeth is a little more forgiving and patient. Though she thinks the worst of Mr. Jackass, she does not cast him off as a hopeless case. Perhaps it's the hormones coming into play or just the brooding stare that few can resist.

Elizabeth took her rucksack off her back and unzipped it. "I need to gauge your swimming abilities first and proceed accordingly. I have the equipment for the four of us in my bag though if anybody finds anything lacking, please let me know."

"Actually, you won't need to unload that for all three of us. It is just me and Charles. Wills here, won't be joining us."

"Umm,Richard. I..I think I will. I thought I'd give it a try. Can't be too bad. We are in good hands, after all" he said with a bravado he did not feel and yet his twitching hands betrayed the nervous tinge. Looking into Lizzy's eyes, he remembered. Emerald. The flash of green in his dream. The exact same shade. He refused to think upon its significance. Coincidence. He reassured himself.

Lizzy responded by raising her eyebrow. The arch look did funny things to Darcy's stomach. He looked away retreating back into the shell and taking shelter behind his public 'mask'.

"Richard and I are proficient swimmers but Darce, not so much." Darcy's mouth tightened as this knowledge of his weakness was exhibited in front of a stranger. He looked up to the nymph's face expecting to find pity or disgust but instead found reassurance and understanding. A soft smile curved around the edges of her tantalizing lips.

"It does not matter Mr. Darcy. We'll manage. Though you will get the luxury of spending more time with me as I'm afraid, I'll almost be clinging to you under the sea" she teased. There was no denying. She was intrigued by this abominable man. He was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of deep sea diving but did not back out. This was certainly endearing to her. That expression was imprinted in her mind. It reminded her of a colt left to fend for itself in the wilderness. One who refused to show its fear but was ready to bolt at a second's notice. Moreover, she may hate his guts but she was anything but unprofessional.

 **A/n: I know this is a very short chapter after such a long wait but I promise to upload the next one quickly.**


	19. Chapter 18

' ' **\- thoughts**

" " – **dialogue**

 **Warning: I do not have a beta. This was all written in one go at 3 am and has not been proof-read. Grammatical mistakes may lie ahead.**

Darcy looked on at the brunette perched on the boulder as she gave them an outline of what lay ahead, beyond the layers of glimmering water. He tried to concentrate on her words but found his eyes drawn towards the lips that were tempting him beyond reason. Lizzy saw Darcy was distracted and the skin around her mouth tightened in, what she interpreted, was a display of blatant arrogance.  
'The man could not swim but has to act like he knows everything. The least he could do was pretend to be attentive. Damn my conscience! If I had my way, I'd let him drown or worse, get eaten by sharks. Then again, can't have that pretty face disfigured'. She mused. 'Perhaps his tongue could be pulled out.' Yet she did not allow any of her displeasure to be visible on her face. 'Sugar Daddy! I'll show him that I am a professional.'

She addressed the other two 'gentlemen'.

"Do you guys know the basic sign language? Seeing that we cannot talk under the water, we'll have to rely on our fingers for communication."

Charles and Richard shook their heads in negative while Darcy gave a hesitant nod.  
"Just the basics" he elaborated on seeing the siren raise one eyebrow in question. There was the arch look again. He felt queasy and was sure, Mrs. White had added something to his breakfast.

"Very well. Let us get started then. Pay attention" she jumped off the boulder and stood in front of the three giants who towered over her. Yet she commanded their attention without any effort, just by a click of her fingers.

"Up" she instructed, clenching her fist and pointing her thumb upwards. While Richard and Bingley hastened to follow her actions, William looked on amused, leaning on the boulder. Another look by Lizzy, this time with both eyebrows raised heaven-wards made him comply.

"Down", her thumb was pointing down.

"Okay". Her thumb was touching her index finger while the rest of her fingers stood straight.

"Not okay" She shook her hand in an elaborate gesture.

"Air cage " She used forefinger of her left hand to spin a circle on her right palm.

"Well, that is it." She smiled in satisfaction when all the three men had copied her actions to the T.

"Ok?" Richard asked Darcy, accompanied by its hand gesture.

"Ok." William replied. He almost followed Elizabeth's instructions for the action but then at the last moment folded all of his fingers except the middle one, which he showed to his cousin.

"Such crudeness" Richard tsked and Charles laughed. Elizabeth bit her lip to contain the mirth that threatened to bubble forth.

The instructor then unzipped her duffel and produced three wetsuits from within it. Darcy wondered how such a small bag could suffice for the garments produced.  
"Give me a minute. I need to get the oxygen tanks." With that she ran back to the small minivan.

Meanwhile, the three men put on the tight suits. When Elizabeth returned, she had to gulp. It took much restraint to not ogle Darcy's chest. The suit fit in like a second skin over the well sculpted figure. 'Well, at least now I know what Michelangelo is upto. Clearly, he is busy up there.' She looked up at the sky and shook her head to shake off the hilarity, laughing out at the Lydia-like thoughts.

William saw her coming towards them and shook his own head to get his thoughts in focus. She had also changed into her wet suit which looked as if it had been designed especially for. 'I will NOT behave like a school boy', he vowed. His eyes widened when he saw Elizabeth grab his right forearm. 'I was right about her. She is a brazen woman who thinks her enticing ways can ensnare a Darcy. Well, I'll show her what I think of her and her allurements.' Just as he was about to push her hand off his chest, Lizzy reached behind him to buckle up the string that was hanging from behind his upper arm. "You forgot that one", she said softly looking up at the Darcy legatee from beneath her eyelashes as the jade in her eyes danced merrily. Darcy felt his breath catch.

"All okay?", she asked on feeling the businessman stiffen and shrivel up in discomfort.

Fitzwilliam heard her question through the fog in his head. In that moment, he felt like the nerves connecting his brain and mouth had been jammed and he used his hand to get his point across. All but one of fingers were straight but instead of the index finger, it was the pinky one that touched his thumb. "Try again." Lizzy laughed and she jogged down to help Richard who was fumbling around for help.

Darcy looked confused when it clicked and he hurried to make the correct gesture. Forefinger and thumb. He repeated. Focus Darcy.

" I cannot think when you hover", he mumbled into the wind.

"These belts would help you remain under the water." She gave them one belt each.

Charles Bingley saddled the oxygen tank as Lizzy connected the mouthpiece to his valve. The enthusiastic man pressed the valve and immediately blanched when the foul taste rushed down his throat. Lizzy grinned on seeing the one thing that happened every summer with at least one novice.

Richard Fitzwilliam was having the time of his life as he put on the flippers. Elizabeth faced another moment of laughter when he did a karate kick in swim fins.

Finally the three of them ready. They put on their goggles and saddled the cylinder. Elizabeth had given them all the required instructions as she donned herself with the gear.

The time had come for their first practice.

"You guys have done pretty well so far. I thought we'd need two days of practice but perhaps we can finish it early. What do you think?"

Charlie looked eager while Richard was torn between finishing it early and prolonging the experience. On one hand, he was excited to see the world down there but on the other hand, he wanted to savor this adventure. Fitzwilliam Darcy wished for a delay. He wanted to spend more time with the water nymph. Surprisingly enough he was not feeling petrified at the thought.


	20. Chapter 19

**Thanks for thee reviews/follows/favorites!**

"You two can jump in", Elizabeth said nodding towards Charlie and Richard. "You Mr. Darcy, you will be diving with me."

With that the two of them jumped in with an invigorating yell that had Lizzy covering her ears and left Darcy cringing. However, in the next second his expression froze as he contemplated the subsequent few minutes. The time of reckoning had come. His feet felt like lead and his heart was beating at an alarming rate as he stared into the fathomless depth. Lizzy understood his apprehension, her eyes softened as she took a step ahead in his direction. Gently she took hold of his hand and together they stepped into the reign of Poseidon.

O-O-O-O

The three musketeers looked around themselves on the somewhat murky water. Granted it was not the most exquisite spot for underwater diving, yet it was a novel experience- away from the crowd. This was not even the actual site and Bingley was already mesmerized. The palpitating pulse of the sea was steady and peaceful. He wondered what they would see the next day when they went for the actual diving. Beside him, Richard's eyes expressed the same awe. He was moving akin to the turtle that they just saw, slowly and steadily. A ginger fish with the exact shade as his hair color swam past him, eliciting mental chuckles from him. Charles Bingley felt proud of his chosen adventure activity.

A few feet away were Darcy and Elizabeth. How Darcy managed to look so graceful despite his uncoordinated limbs was a wonder to Charles. All of a sudden, the picture changed and he looked like a cat that had been dropped into the water with the way he was flailing his limbs about.

Suddenly Richard startled and frantically moved towards his cousin. Bingley squinted his eyes to look for the cause of such concern. William. Something was wrong. His floundering appendages did not look so funny anymore. Where was Elizabeth?

O-O-O-O

Lizzy grabbed Darcy's hand to calm him down. The gentleman had expelled his mouthpiece and was unable to put it back in. His hands shook as he tried to grab onto the valve of his cylinder but it kept escaping his grasp. Lizzy knew that he was in no state to work with the cylinder and in the heat of the moment did something unexpected.

She took out her own mouthpiece, shoved it into her pupil's hand and then guided that hand back to his mouth. William Darcy latched onto it like a man dying of lack of oxygen.. which technically, he was.  
Meanwhile, Elizabeth held onto her breath for as long as possible and after a few minutes gently took it back and relieved her own lungs of the strain. Richard and Charles looked on, stunned. A small smirk eventually tugged at Richard's mouth and he knew that William Darcy had found the one.

William held onto Elizabeth's straps as she breathed in and soothed him. When he could not hold in anymore, he gasped and Elizabeth pushed her mouthpiece back into his mouth. She grabbed his arms to demand his attention and with her fingers, urged him to look into her eyes. William was only too willing to comply. Despite the depth he found himself in, he felt as if he could drown into the bottomless depth of Elizabeth's eyes. Gradually his breathing regulated but he did not let go off Elizabeth or use his own mouthpiece. For the rest of the practice, they tasted each other as they breathed in.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

"Hey, Lizzy! Why don't you join us for dinner?" asked Bingley as they were wrapping up after those enjoyable hours.

"I don't wish to impose." She was hesitant when she saw Darcy frown at Charlie's comment. Things had been extremely awkward between her and Darcy after they had emerged from the water. No one had brought the incident up and she was thankful for that. She avoided thinking about it, she had no idea what induced her to do what she did. She could only blame it on Darcy's helpless eyes and her own oath as an instructor. Unbeknownst to her, Darcy wanted to invite her along to express his profound gratitude. She had been extremely patient in the face of his disability and guided him to the best of her ability. Like Elizabeth, he too avoided thinking about the ambrosia he partook in.

"My lady, we would be much honored if you grace us with your lovely presence this evening" was the dramatic reaction of Richard Fitzwilliam as he kneeled onto the ground beseeching for the approval of the fair maiden who laughed at his antics.

Fitzwilliam Darcy was not amused. As his scowl deepened, Elizabeth's thoughts spiraled towards a deeper pit of misunderstanding. She decided to acquiesce just to annoy the obnoxious man.  
"If you insist" she replied in her snootiest impression of a high born brat, unknowingly mirroring Richard's own aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Throughout this endeavor, not a word passed through Darcy's lips. He was battling with his own inner thoughts that raged a conflicting war in his head. His heart egged him to snatch the witty diver before Richard ensnared her. His mind, pushed him to think of his duties towards the Darcy name. Imagine the number of controversies it would create if he showed up at a fund raiser with Elizabeth on his arm, wearing something brought from Target. She would not even know which fork to use for the salad. He shook his head to dispel these musings. Sparkling eyes could not be enough of a reason for him to abandon his responsibilities. He hadn't been with anybody for such a long time now and that is his body was thusly responding. He reassured himself. She was just a distraction, a fascination he would get over with soon enough. And yet, he did not know why there was pang in his chest when he saw Lizzy and Richard bantering.

A/N: Let me know your thoughts. If anyone has any ideas or request for some scene to be included, I'd love to hear them.


	21. Chapter 20

A/N: Everybody seems to hate Darcy so far, much more than what I expected. A heads up- this chapter will definitely not endear him to anybody but do keep in mind that he is a poor confused lad, who has never felt like this for anybody. His heart is warring with what has been ingrained in him since childhood. He is terrified of diving. So, the only way he reacts is by lashing out.

* * *

"What would you guys like to eat? I'm assuming you are sick of Spanish cuisine by now, ooh I know this place by the corner that serves some amazing Greek food", Elizabeth spoke with much enthusiasm as they strolled towards the market. She was decidedly ignoring the scowling gentleman who stared at her with a frightening intensity. Apart from him, she had great company and was determined to enjoy her evening. "What?" she turned around and asked when no reply came forth.

"Actually, we have not really tried anything Spanish yet." Charles answered, embarrassed about this deficit.

'Well he should be embarrassed about it', thought Elizabeth and her mouth formed a huge 'O' in acute wonder. "I guess then we'll have to remedy the situation immediately. What will Mommy say if she learns that you ate English food even in Spain?" she teased.

The three of them followed Elizabeth who guided them to a nice little café on the main street. It looked like a cozy enough place with bright lights and folk music in the background. Clearly it was not something a Darcy ever stepped in. Richard and Charles looked on with glee at the hustle and bustle in the quaint café.

The four of them moved towards an empty table. Darcy frowned in distaste at the minute speck of dust visible on the chair. He subtly wiped it with a napkin before seating himself. He looked up to find mirth in those enchanting green eyes though his eyes strayed towards the lip that was being abused by its owner's front teeth.  
"What?" he asked brusquely.  
"Nothing" was the short reply.

"How about you lot read the menu and decide upon the dishes while I take quick detour to the ladies' room", with that Elizabeth Bennet excused herself from the company that made her feel extreme emotions in the span of a few minutes. One moment the brooding man made her heart race when he stared at her with those intense eyes but the next moment, he vexed her beyond reason when he looked with disgust at her favorite niches. She had seen how he'd eyed the market place with revulsion. Nonetheless she decided to imbibe her sister Jane and focus upon his good qualities. Well, he had a nice pair of arms, broad shoulders, and a lovely face that belonged on the Billboards of the country. 'Physical qualities are not all that are there to him' scolded a Jane-esque voice. Non-physical qualities? He must have some but she had yet to spot any of them. Keeping that in mind, Elizabeth thought about his behavior the first time they had met. 'He was extremely quiet but knew how to have fun. Perhaps he is shy around strangers. He looked pretty scared of the sea.' She decided to observe him with an unbiased view. They were in a new place, surrounded by strangers. Darcy was sure to give himself away and if nothing else, she promised to be at least civil to him. 'I could be amiable to him that is if he does not open his mouth' but darn him, he just had to do that. She had no idea how her resolve would be tested that night.

O-O-O-O O-O-O-O O-O-O-O

"So, what do you guys think?" Charles asked his companions, eager to know their thoughts on his chosen sport.

"It was definitely fun, Charlie. Good choice, my man! I must say the instructor was even a better choice." Richard winked. "Though Will here would know better. He was after all breathing in the same air as Lizzie." He nudged William, waggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

"As usual, I have no idea what you are talking about Richard. Though I concede the underwater world is exhilarating, it is something I wish to avoid after this is over."

"Oh c'mon man, it is not like you didn't notice Lizzy when she was right beside you all the time. I swear to God, she has the most gorgeous pair of .."

"Richard!" came the twin scandalous shouts from William and Charles.

"Eyes! People, eyes. Gorgeous pair of eyes. Geez...keep your mind out of the gutter. Though even your thoughts ring true." He grinned. By now, William had a closed off expression. He knew his cousin had caught onto the unexplainable attraction he felt towards their diving instructor However, he could not let him harbor suspicions he himself, avoided thinking about.

"Clearly the water has addled your head Richard or perhaps the chemicals have blinded you for I can call no attribute of Ms. Bennet gorgeous."

"Don't be so harsh Will" chided Charles.

"Yeah, man. I mean, I would have no qualms in taking her out for dinner", Richard prodded "that is, if you are not interested in her."

"Me?" William Darcy derided. "By all means, go ahead. I have no interest in average specimens. Date her all you want, I don't care", the lies burst forth from his mouth at an alarming rate. After a minute he continued, in a rapid voice- "Do you seriously think I, a Darcy would a mere scuba diving instructor?" he asked in an aghast manner, his voice gaining power with every word. "I suppose, I can give credit to her teaching skills but that does not merit me dating her. Can you imagine the waves it would create in the family? Aunt Catherine would rip off my head. A girl who has not even been to college, let alone have a degree, would be on my arm?" he scoffed. "No, thank you. I don't want her to impress my business partners with her diving skills at the soirees." Though his words rang extremely punitive, it was not Richard or Charlie that Darcy was trying to convince, it was his own troubled soul that was in danger of falling for this spirited girl.

"I didn't know that your educational qualification was a criterion for going out with someone" Richard replied calmly as he pursued the menu after Darcy's outburst.

Poor Charles looked between them terrified. He was indignant on Elizabeth's behalf but he did not wish to argue with his best friend and ruin an otherwise good day.

Unknown to all of them was the fact that not five meters away, stood one Elizabeth Bennet who had heard the last part of Will Darcy's monologue and was currently, preparing his eulogy. She felt crushed on hearing him disparage her favorite hobby; the skills that made her feel so proud of herself suddenly seemed insufficient. It was this last thought that felt like a bucket of ice cold water had been poured over her bare back when she stood beyond the Wall, facing the White Walkers. She would not let these feelings of shame overcome her love for the ocean. She was proud of her abilities and no man, no matter how beautiful or rich, could make her feel low. Moreover, Darcy, the oaf, was spouting irrelevant and false facts. The audacious man thought that just because he ruled over his company, he could rob her of her self-esteem. She would show him what she thought of him and his mind-numbing soirees. Taking a deep breath, she tried to mimic her older sister and with a smile that looked disturbing on her face but serene on Jane's, moved towards the table. 'Kill him softly', she chanted in her mind though her mind pictured scenarios worthy of being on ' _Dexter',_ with she as Dexter and a certain curly haired billionaire as the punching bag _._

* * *

A/N: So I have this question. Just curiosity- Who do you guys picturize as the modern P&P characters? (could be anyone and not just the ones in the screen adaptations)

Please point out the mistakes. Thanks for reading! :)


	22. Chapter 21

A/N: Here is a quick update, albeit a short chap. Thanks for all the support.

 **A guest reviewer asked me for my image of modern Darcy, apart from Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen; well, I don't why but my mind always conjures up a picture of Sean O'Pry for this, though nobody can top Colin Firth.**

* * *

"Hey, did you guys order something?" Lizzy asked in a falsely cheerful voice as she slid in beside Richard.

"Not yet. We were waiting for you. Perhaps you can suggest something", answered Charles, oblivious to the turmoil brewing in the young diver's mind.

"Paella, perhaps? I try to have it at least once whenever I visit Spain. No matter how hard we try, British can never make a perfect Paella. You know what the best part of eating here is?" she lowered her voice significantly - "This restaurants here, do not ask for your educational qualification before serving. You may eat the dessert with the salad fork and no one gives a damn", she whispered conspirately to her curious listeners. Darcy went pale at the challenge in her eyes. Clearly she had heard his rant. Richard covered his mouth to hide his smile when he came to the same conclusion. While Bingley, he looked on between the two people engaged in a staring contest, half expecting them to jump onto the table and duel to death with the cutlery. The heavy atmosphere was broken in by the arrival of the waiter who took their orders.

When the drinks came in, Elizabeth proposed a toast to their efforts.

"Charles, I heard you are getting married?"

"Yes. In about three months. Apparently, choosing a gown and hall requires loads of weeks."

"And cash" muttered Darcy.

"Tell me about her", Lizzy smiled at Charles, curious about the woman who the affable man chose as his life partner. Charlie was more than happy to comply and wax poetry about his fiancé.

"Her name is Melissa Jones. We were set up by my sister, Caroline. She is great and I couldn't be happier." Darcy merely rolled his eyes at Bingley's sappy expression though Richard snorted in disgust.

"What?" she addressed Darcy, ignoring Richard's uncivility. "Does she not meet your approval, Mr. Darcy? Perhaps she did not go to college." Elizabeth finished her proclamation with a dramatic gasp. Darcy winced. Yes, she had definitely heard him. He decided to apologize at the earliest opportunity.

"She does have a degree in fashion from St. Andrew's." answered Darcy as he took a sip from his glass.

"Well then what? Is she a 'mere' fashion designer?" she glared at him and arched that one eyebrow in an expression that drove Darcy wild.

"She is not a designer. She is an fashion enthusiast.. a critic of sorts." Bingley answered with much hesitation grasping for the right words.

"Yeah, she is very critical of what people wear", muttered Richard by her side. Bingley glared at him. It gave Elizabeth enough of an impression about Bingley's fiancé though she wondered why a man like him, was marrying such a woman. She sounded more suited to dreary Darcy than the blissful Bingley.

"Most importantly, she comes from an old English family of great standing. Her father is a multi-millionaire and her family has consolidated their position in the world of real estate for many decades now. Her uncle, I think is a baron" he frowned thoughtfully before biting onto the piece of potato on his fork. According to his convoluted thought process, this would give Elizabeth an idea of the kind of woman he was expected to date.

"I'm not marrying her for money or connections, Will" Charles looked aggravated at the insinuation.

"Of course not Bing, but you have got to admit it is a sound point in her favor as much as I dislike her person."  
Charles' mouth hung open as he appeared shocked at this materialistic ideology. Elizabeth, however, had expected this from someone like Darcy. It just strengthened her own opinions about the boorish man. Instead of feeling disgusted at this insensitive reply, she pitied him for his limited understanding and the lack of affection in his life.

"Some things in life are more important than power and connections. An abhorrent person cannot make up for his lack of geniality by his bank statement", was the soft input of the only woman on the table as she swirled the wine in her glass, lost in thoughts of her own future.

"And you, Miss Lizzy? Any significant other that needs to disappear mysteriously for me to slide in?" quipped Richard. Darcy's fingers tightened around his glass.

Elizabeth laughed. "No, I'm afraid no murder can be blamed on my conscience, however, indirectly."

"Nobody?" Darcy was surprised. Surely, there must be a queue of men trying to woo the enchantress. "Does nobody meet your standards?" he jested, leaving Elizabeth breathless for a moment when two dimples peeked out.

"I don't have many high 'standards', Mr. Darcy. I like new experiences and new people. Unlike you," this was accompanied by a pointed stare in his direction "I don't see life as a fixed path that has to be trotted on. I'll be happy to maneuver wherever it takes me, taking in the scenery along the way and meeting whoever happens to be on the same path. If by chance, that someone does not get scared by my impertinence, he may stay forever." She finished with a cheeky smile "even if his account balance reads nil and his father is a shopkeeper." Richard guffawed.  
Darcy saluted her with his glass of wine, taken in by her bright smile and zest for life. He could not bother with the voice in his head that screamed at him to get away from the temptation, before it is too late. Somewhere deep in his mind, he knew it was already too late. He had fallen.


	23. Chapter 22

**The first adventure. Finally!**

* * *

The four of them were sitting in a small motorboat, sailing towards a niche spot popular for scuba diving. Darcy had an inscrutable expression on his face, his stiff body language bespoke of his discomfort with the arrangement. A more sadistic side of Elizabeth may have enjoyed seeing his fists clench the rod as the waves crashed against the hull. This Elizabeth, however, sent him a soft smile. She was a professional and an ardent lover of the ocean. She'd hug her biggest enemy if it meant bringing another member into the folds of Poseidon's blanket. Much against her will, she found herself admiring her profile. That he was extremely handsome, nobody could deny. The wind brushed against his curls, making her fingers curl onto themselves to refrain from mimicking the moment. His jaw was clenched, highlighting the high cheekbones and sharp features. She realized she was gawking like a fool when she met the bemused orbs. She looked away, willing the blush that stained her face to submerge to oblivion.

There was a splash and the three men dived into the salty water to finish the first task embarked by Charles Bingley.

\- XXXX -

* * *

Initially, William felt uncomfortable on seeing other strangers around him but that soon disappeared on recognizing Lizzy's silhouette in the hoard. It was dark all around him. He could hear nothing but the sound of his own breathing. He stopped to gauge the depth and looked up towards the surface where the sunlight peeked in. His brain seemed to have left his body to swim up to the surface. He felt clogged. A voice whispered; softly incanting and urging him to breathe and looked around himself. He did. That one minute was all that it took to redefine his life. He was entranced by the tiny orange bodies that zigzagged around him. It was akin to a painting that contained every color of the spectrum. Richard could probably wax on about that on a better scale but to Darcy, the soft bed of flowers looked like a stage where a multitude of dancers swayed in harmony and grace.

He felt somebody grab his hand. He did not have to look to know who it was. Elizabeth beckoned him forward and guided him a little away from the group. The two of them swam towards a little opening in a cave-like structure. The gentle swaying of her ponytail in the sapphire backdrop lulled him into a sense of peace. On appraising her intentions, he stilled. He adamantly refused to go inside the opening. When Elizabeth turned to him, he knew he was fallible. He was but a man and in the face of such gentleness and charm, he lost all resistance. He took hold of her hand together they swam towards their destination. Few more minutes and all his fear turned into awe and wonder at the beauty in front of him. He would gladly die in the arms of this fair mermaid engulfed by the blue robe of the cavernous bowels. Elizabeth flashed the torchlight and a blur of red flashed past him. He turned around to stare at the enchanting specimen. The fish was enveloped in shades of yellow and red with blue dots spread sporadically on its exterior. Forests of white Christmas trees shot up from the seabed.

Ten years from now, he'd be sitting in a bar, surrounded by his two best friends and reminiscing about this day – how he choked back his tears when he swam alongside a turtle, the school of fish that pecked at the coral reefs and stifled a laugh when an eel wafted by and gave him an evil eye.

He realized what the books talked about when one felt closer to nature. All that mattered was him and his diving partner as they explored this huge aquarium; pointed marvels to each other and communicated without any words. He saw Elizabeth grab his attention and make that hand signal he had come to dread. It was time to go back to the land.

* * *

\- XXXX -

There was an eerie silence on the boat. They were not under the water anymore but their minds were still meditating on the wonders below; their hearts were yearning to return to the seabed. No words were needed to express their emotions. Their miens said it all. Elizabeth understood how overwhelming it was. No matter how many times she partook in this experience, each time the return to the green land left her bereft. This time was no different though this time it was more… intimate, she realized with a jolt. Never before had she taken anybody to the small nook she had claimed as her alcove. She stared at her new pupils one by one, taking in their crestfallen expressions. Her gaze returned with a start to Darcy. At first glance, it seemed like the water droplets dripping from his hair created a track along his cheeks but at closer scrutiny, she could see that the origin of those droplets was his eyes, not his hair. He was crying. The man she thought too proud to display his emotions had tears running down his cheeks. His eyes were closed and his head tilted towards the sky, seeking answers as he came to terms with the enlightening experience. His head felt cleaner and his soul purged of his sins. Elizabeth looked on in surprise. She had only ever seen one person experience this kind of reaction to the first dive and that was herself. She clearly remembered that day. Not unlike Darcy, she had sat on the deck for hours with her head on her knees as she contemplated her path. Most of her family considered this hogwash. Mrs. Bennet thought her to be silly to be sobbing over an adventure. Even her father found it difficult to empathize with her. Jane, oh dear Jane tried her best to understand what it meant to Lizzy but it was one of those things that remain out of your grasp unless you experience it for yourself. Nobody ever shared that overpowering moment with her. Until now. Until she had seen Darcy mourning for something he never had, she had never met anybody who understood. The underwater world was not just an adventure or entertainment, it was illumination. _Nirvana_.

\- XXXX -

As they sailed away towards the shore, Darcy felt homesickness creep along his heart. They were going back home, then why did it feel like he was being uprooted from his real abode? He glanced at the only one who shared his thoughts. Her soft smile and glistening eyes were the only reassurance he needed.

"I saw Nemo." With that Charles Bingley broke the heavy silence as the entire boat was engulfed with laughter, trading stories of their sightings.


	24. Chapter 23

"It's our last day here. Why don't you come over for dinner?" Darcy asked Elizabeth as the two of them walked along the shore line. Darcy's hand just strayed away from her palm. He imagined a scenario where he could grasp hold of that hand without any consequences that involved a certain red hand print on his cheek. How he longed to kiss the frown of her face as the sun sank down on the horizon. Richard and Charles were lagging behind, both of them dead on their feet after the strenuous escapade. "I'll cook", he added when he saw hesitance in her expression. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was quite surprised at the offer. "You can cook?", she asked, incredulity written all over her look.

Darcy flushed. "Not very well. Just the basic stuff to get by."

She was reluctant to accept the offer, the previous dinner that she was invited to did not hold a place in the pleasant sections of her life. But the small vulnerability in his expression forced her hand and she conceded. "I'll help cleaning up." Mere teasing words and Darcy's face had the brightest smile she had ever seen.

"Woah..Woah. WHAT'S THAT?" Richard exclaimed horrified, pointing at Darcy's face when the two men caught up.

"What?" Darcy immediately patted his face to discover the source of this horror. Did a bird poop on his head without his knowledge? His eyes widened as he imagined scenario after scenario involving various pests and dirt. Meanwhile, Bingley was howling with laughter.

"That thing along your mouth. Your lips are disfigured dramatically." Rich gasped. "I recognize it. It is something that is perpetually on Bingley's face. SMILE. IT IS A DAMN SMILE ON FITZWILLIAM DARCY'S FACE."

The last sentence put a stop to Elizabeth's giggles. "Fitzwilliam?" She turned with a mischievous look in her eyes to address Darcy. William's frown turned into a glare. "It's a family name", he defended.

"I like it. It is very regal, Mr. Darcy". The thousand watt smile returned to FITZWILLIAM'S face.

-XXXXXXXXXX-

"What are you doing?" A perplexed Charles Bingley asked Darcy when he entered the kitchen to perceive the sight of his best friend stirring the sauce in a pan.

"Cooking", was the one word answer.

"Really? I had no idea. I thought you were teaching the cauliflower tango."

Darcy sighed on seeing Charles' unrelenting stare.

"Elizabeth's coming for dinner. So. .cooking", he grit out.

There was a crash in the living room and a disheveled Richard rushed in. "Did I hear that Elizabeth is coming over? And you are telling us now? I am not ready." He pointed at his sports boxer shorts and old school tank top. "Gosh! I need to take a bath. How will I ever seduce her if I smell like a tramp?"

Darcy sighed in frustration, asking the heavens above for patience.  
"You really need to appreciate the effort I put in not to commit amicicide*." William ground out.

"Nah..you won't look good in prison stripes." Richard waived off the threat.

"Best not to let Caro hear that." Bingley groused.

Richard cursed when the bell rang.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXX-

"You sell yourself short Mr. Darcy. The food was delicious." Elizabeth said as she helped the men clean up. By cleaning up, Richard certainly meant creating more mess until Darcy banished him from the kitchen. Bingley went along to babysit him.

Darcy's cheeks colored as he murmured a quiet thanks. "Do you cook?"

"Let's say that only the smoke alarm applauds me for my cooking." Elizabeth replied grinning which caused Darcy to laugh in return. "No, Jane is the cook in our family. She is my mother's ideal daughter because of this. Her biggest concern is that I'll have progenies with a delinquent and they will starve." She rolled her eyes.

"Well then, you need to assuage your mother's concerns and 'have progenies' with a responsible man who can cook." He said this with an intensity in his eyes that made Elizabeth tingle with warmth.

Soon it was Elizabeth's turn to flush as the chorus of 'I Want It That Way' by Backstreet Boys blared out from her person. She fished a mobile phone from her pocket murmuring about killing some Libia or someone similar. "My sister, Jane", she excused herself and walked away to answer the call passing Richard and Charles who entered the kitchen at her exit.

"Ahem" Bingley cleared his throat and Richard coughed twice to conceal his laughter. Darcy shot an eyebrow up in enquiry as their gazes directed towards him.

"So?" Charles asked nonchantly.

"So?" Darcy asked equally relaxed, his hands in his pockets and a cocky grin on his face.

"Oh, stop beating around the bush. You have got it bad for Lizzy." Richard smirked like a kid who caught his big brother with his hands in the cookie jar.

Immediately Darcy's expression returned to its normal state of composure. "Again, I think you are creating fantasies out of thin air. I just think we owe Elizabeth for this incredible experience we had and so, I invited her for dinner. I don't deny that I do like her. As a friend" he clarified.

"You cooked." Richard said as if this one line explained everything.

"And?" Darcy prodded.

"You never cook for anybody outside the family", cried Richard.

"I cook when Bingley dines with us." Darcy defended.

Richard batted his hand away. "Bingley is family." On hearing this, Charles beamed and gave Richard an impulsive one-armed hug. "Thank you Richard." He shrieked. Darcy snorted. "How about you two snog outside the kitchen? If you can get Rich to go down on one knee, you'd literally be a part of the family, Bing."

"Hey, what's going on?" Elizabeth interrupted on seeing twin expressions of disgust on the two affable men.  
"Nothing. FITZWILLIAM is just getting jealous of my paramour here." Richard fanned his face and dragged a confused Elizabeth towards the living room.  
"Be sure to send a picture of your 'paramour' to Melissa. She'd be thrilled", came the shout from the kitchen.

The three of them settled in front of the TV and talked nonsense. Darcy came out carrying a tray with four bowls of chocolate pudding.

"Did you make that?" Bingley asked shocked. As far as he knew, Darcy had no talent in baking.

"No. Elizabeth brought this." Elizabeth gave a self-depreciating laugh. "My skills in the kitchen are limited to baking. Though I will give a fair warning, I'm not responsible for any food poisoning that may happen. So, eat at your own risk."

"I'm sure they are as sumptuous as their owner." Richard winked.

"It is really good, Lizzy." Bingley said earnestly.  
"You are a woman of many talents Ms. Bennet. I wonder what else you hide." Darcy responded in a low voice.

-XXXXXXX-

A/N: I know it was more of a filler.

*amicicide- killing of a friend


	25. Chapter 24

**A/N: Hey folks. Happy New Year! Hope you guys have a great year ahead. (I know it's a little too late for it..Seeing the first month is almost over but better late than never...)**

 **I feel so bad for leaving this hanging. I cannot promise that I'll update soon but I will try my best to take some time out. Meanwhile, here is a longer (than usual) chapter to assuage my guilt. A special shout out to** **Ananya** **who pretty much forced me to write this :P**

* * *

"I caught you with Tolstoy the other day, Miss Lizzy. Did you know that Darcy boy here, is a Tolstoy fan?" Richard nudged his cousin who was barely restraining himself from licking the bowl of pudding.

"Surprisingly enough they do teach us to read at the scuba-diving-institute-for-poor. Pity, they don't ask for an Ivy League degree from readers at bookstores", Elizabeth teased.

Darcy stiffened. His nostrils flared as his annoyance with the fetching brunette grew. Why couldn't she just let it go? 'Maybe because she is yet to receive a proper groveling apology', a snarky voice whispered in his head. He looked at her sharply and his anger deflated. Her eyes were glittering with mischief and he understood. Her intention was not to provoke but to tease. Well, two can play this game, madam!

"Indeed. Perhaps they should. Mayhap, then books like Blindness* will feature on the bestsellers' list rather than some books about creepy, vampire fanatics." Darcy challenged.

'Touché!' Elizabeth's lips twitched though she refused to give her nemesis the satisfaction. This was the first time she had seen this side of him and truth be told—the lady liked it.  
"…and Ivy Leagues consists of only werewolf fanatics?" she replied.

"No." Richard said seriously, as if imparting an occult secret. "They are Zombie fanatics", he brokered with a grin.  
"And you know this because..? You are an Ivy graduate?" Elizabeth said skeptically.  
"As if Yale would lower their standards to that level", Darcy muttered.  
"You wound me, my lady but alas, I am a mere Oxford grad."  
"You went to college? Could've fooled me." Elizabeth spoke in an astonished tone but soon that mouth broke out into a huge grin to soothe the intended insult.

Charles cleared his throat loudly. 'This was getting into dangerous waters.' The man got bullied into an engagement with a shrew to avoid any confrontation with this sister and her friend. This was but akin to a toddler's milk tooth**.  
"Lizzy!" he shouted with all fake enthusiasm, "You must come to my wedding".  
Elizabeth laughed in response, understanding his play. Meanwhile, William rolled his eyes. 'As if he, the only heir to the Darcy fortune and name would break into fists with a lady'.

"Ah! I see your strategy now. You are asking us questions to avoid answering any of ours. You, my lady, are a master interrogator. You have learnt so much about us but we barely know anything about you", complained Richard.  
Elizabeth replied amused, "Well, what do you wish to know, my lord? I'm yours to command."  
"How I wish t'was true!" Richard groaned, ignoring the often-used glare from his cousin.

"How would the Elizabeth Bennet of fifth grade introduce herself to new friends?"

"Fifth grade? Hmm.. I think I was a veritable chatterbox at that time; assured of my own sense of superiority. Very well, be prepared", and suddenly, her voice rose an octave as she tried to imitate a voice she housed eons ago, "I am Elizabeth Bennet from the small town of Meryton in rural England. My best friend is my older sister Jane, who I am sure is an angel descended from heaven and… I hate boys. They have cooties and always pull my hair or tease Jane, then have the gall to cry when I push them in puddles. I have four younger sisters.."

"Five daughters?" William exclaimed, charmed though he was by the thought of little Lizzy pushing boys into puddles and breaking their noses with her right hook. Truth be told, he would not mind pulling her pigtails even now.

"Yes. Is that a problem, Fitzwilliam?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Not at all. I just pity your poor father. To be surrounded by so much female drama." Unexpectedly, he did not hate his name anymore.

Just when he thought she was offended, she laughed that laugh he loved. "That is indeed true. My father often jokes that every single grey strand in his hair is a direct result of our antics."

"You are close to him", Darcy mumbled, longing for the adoration in her voice.

Lizzy looked up in surprise but soon warmth took abode in her eyes as she continued, "Yes, I am. I admit he has always been partial to me, more so because of our shared dislike of Hemingway. He instilled his love for reading in me since I was a tiny tot. Though he quite despaired of me when I read only Nicholas Sparks' at 16" Darcy grimaced while Elizabeth let out a quiet chuckle.  
Richard whispered to Bingley "Who the hell are Hemingway and Sparks?" Bingley looked equally confused.

* * *

"May I join you? Richard and Charles fell asleep on the sofa. Honestly, how can you fall asleep while watching Cheers?" Elizabeth asked, leaning against the door to the backyard porch. Something about Darcy's pensiveness called to her when she saw the infuriatingly handsome man standing against the railing, lost in thought.

"Of course!" he was startled to hear his muse's voice.

She bit her lip before ducking inside. Just when Darcy's tentative smile transformed into a frown, she was back with one glass and a bottle of wine in her hands.

"Courtesy of your benevolent cousin", she jested and handed him the glass full of wine.

"Only one glass? Either you don't drink or… should I worry for my life?" he hesitated with a suspicious look at the glass.

"Unless you carry some bezoar*** on your person, you'll have to risk it", she contested, "and as for carrying one glass, I drink straight from the bottle Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy."

Darcy scoffed. "Such savage manners, Ms. Bennet. If I didn't know better I'd think you were Richard's cousin."

And just to defy him, Lizzy Bennet took a huge gulp from the vintage bottle and promptly spluttered.

"You bastard! You knew this would happen" she accused when Darcy chortled.

"I think it's a lesson well-learned, Ms. Bennet. Never trust Richard's liquor."

"And you, Fitzwilliam? Should I trust you?" Lizzy turned her head slightly towards him, the darkness obscuring her face partially, at the same time lending it an ethereal look within the moon's shadow.  
Darcy gulped at the sudden intimacy and softness in her voice. He didn't know if it was her proximity or the change in her tone that made his palms sweat. His mind tried cataloguing her facial expressions and wondered if she was mocking him or was in earnest.

"I guess you'll just have to risk it", he reiterated her own words- in faint murmurs, afraid to shatter the fragility of the moment.

'Was it his imagination or did her eyes grow hooded? Perhaps she was tired? Did she..did she just lick her lips?'

"You'll never know if you never try", Lizzy whispered before diving ahead and her lips landed smack against his cheek. Darcy's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't know if he should be disappointed for the lack of contact against his lips or surge with happiness for the feel of that lush mouth against his heated skin. Elizabeth laughed at his comical expression "You'll have to try better than that, Mr. Darcy", she winked and ducked inside the house.

As for Elizabeth, she did not know why she acted on her impulse. She wanted to see Darcy lose that stiff control. She longed to see his face when he lost himself in the passion of someone else's thoughts. He confused her. She could not deny that he was one of the better specimens of the male species. She may not understand him but she had eyes. She was aware enough to sense the physical attraction between them. But to act on them, without unraveling the layers of the man who hid beneath it all? It was quite unlike her. His cousin was more like her kind of guy. Heck, she would have even dated a Bingley without so much self-reflection. Then what was it about Fitzwilliam Darcy that worked her up so much?

Somebody cleared his throat behind her and she jumped around to face the smirking face of the man who was currently ruling her thoughts.

"It's growing late. Do you mind if I drop you home?"

"I can go on my own. I have survived for twenty-four years without a bodyguard."

"I guess you won't believe me if I say that I need some fresh air?" Lizzy merely raised an eyebrow in response and Darcy sighed "Well, then for my peace of mind?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes and walked towards the door, "Don't forget your muffler. It's a bit chilly outside", she warned before acquiescing to his request. Unseen to her, Darcy's lips quirked up as he took a sneak peek at her behind.

* * *

*Blindness is a novel written by Nobel laureate José Saramago

**a toddler's milk tooth- I know this sounds weird but I hope it expresses what I was trying to convey. It popped into my head and I just had to write it.

***Harry potter nerds would get it. It is used in the case of poisoning.

Please point out any grammatical mistakes/typos, etc. Enjoy.


	26. Chapter 25

Elizabeth cuddled closer to the pillow before punching it in frustration. She was no closer to solving the puzzle presented by one Fitzwilliam Darcy than she was six hours ago. Her mind kept replaying the events of the past day. The day had started well enough. It was the end of the day that gave her these jitters. She thought she had figured out the man who did not look beyond crisp currency notes. After their adventure in the Palamos, he showed a vulnerability that called to her. It begged her to yield her prejudice and look at the true gentleman hidden behind the façade. Fitzwilliam Darcy may not be her favorite person on Earth but Elizabeth Bennet could not, in good conscience deny, that the man could cook. And yet it was their night stroll that kept her up at this ungodly hour.

In another room in the city, two brown eyes stared at the ceiling, swirling with similar thoughts.

Flashback

That night provided a distinct blackness to itself, the sort that wanted to embrace the moon and illuminate the stars. It provided a warm blanket of darkness that hugged Darcy and within it, he could feel his soul and the brightly irradiated spark that accompanied it whenever Elizabeth brushed her fingers against his. He looked at the curtain of hair partially covering her face and how the stubborn lock of hair refused to stay put behind her ear. He stared at her and then tried to persuade himself to stop staring at her. The process alternated until she pursed her mouth and displayed her gift for repartee, "Is there something on my face or are you seeing a woman for the first time? "

"I am just wondering if you are a male Martian stuck in a human's body. " What? What did he just say? Male Martian? He mentally smacked himself and speculated if someone could die from embarrassment. Clearly, he was not cut out for this flirting business. Before he could give birth to his plan of running off the cliff, peals of laughter rang out from beside him. Perhaps, he did not give himself due credit!

"Take a picture, Mr. Darcy. It would last longer. "

"Ah! But no lens would be able to capture the brilliancy of your eyes. ", he breathed inaudibly into the air.

"..though do they have sugar daddies on Mars? ", Elizabeth questioned in an innocent tone that stole all color from Darcy's face.

"You heard that? ", he squeaked in a voice he would forever deny possessing. Lizzie arched her eyebrow.

Darcy cleared his throat. " I was having a bad day. An employee at my company had messed up an important deal and here I was stuck in Spain, with my hands tied behind my back. The dastardly heat and raucous cousins were not helping either. " At Lizzy's unimpressed look, he took a deep sigh. This was not going the way he wanted it to. "Please allow me to apologize. I regret my harsh words and did not mean any of them. I am not usually an arse and you caught me at a bad time. I can attest to the fact that you are a hard working lady, putting your hundred percent in something you are really passionate about. If I caused you to doubt any of that, I ...", he closed his eyes in frustration at his inability to articulate his thoughts.

"Just tell me one thing," , he opened his eyes to see Elizabeth smiling at him impishly. " Am I pretty enough to be your sugar baby if you were so inclined to take one ?" . To this, Darcy could do nothing but laughingly roar out his acquiescence. He marveled at this singular lady of his acquaintance.

"You should laugh more. It makes you appear more handsome."

"You find me handsome? ", he gulped, his emotions changing at a rate which could be anything but healthy.

"At least smile, while you still have teeth", Lizzie deflected. Darcy had found his answer in this refraction and he grinned as widely as his unused muscles allowed.

Elizabeth entwined their hands and continued the brisk stroll under the moonlight. Darcy scrambled his mind to think of something to talk about. The sudden silence unnerved him. Why did they not teach this at Cambridge? Statistical analysis would be of no help here.

"Where do you see yourself five years from now? ". Smooth Darcy, real smooth. He chided himself. 'You are not taking a job interview. ' Why couldn't he have talked about her hobbies? Or even something about fishes and turtles.

If Lizzy was baffled by the sudden question, she did not show it. "I should have completed my masters in Marine archaeology two years from now, so hopefully I would have a taken a decision about getting a doctorate or not. At least I hope I would have explored some of the Mediterranean Sea"

"Masters? But that would mean..", fumbled a flabbergasted Darcy as he tugged at her hand, silently asking her to halt.

"Oh yes, Mr. Darcy. This mere scuba diving instructor has a bachelor's degree. FROM A COLLEGE! Oh, the horrors!"

Elizabeth certainly enjoyed a contrite Darcy. She may not be the best judge of character but even she could see that Darcy regretted his impetuous words. Taking pity on the poor man she toned down her amusement.

"Elizabeth, it looks like all I am bound to do this evening , is apologize. I had no idea you had heard me either of the times. That does not mean that the words should have been spoken. Whether you heard them or not, I misspoke and I am ashamed of those untruths. "

Lizzy channeled her inner Jane and forgave the sod. " Let's think no more of it. I forgive you though I own blackmail rights for the future." When Darcy looked no closer to looking relieved, she assured him, "Truly, William. You did not injure me with your words. I have a tough armor. Moreover, you must adopt some of my philosophy- 'Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure'." Darcy pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles in thanks. Talking about her existence in his future so casually, gave Darcy a hope he had not dared to imagine before.

Deep in their thoughts, it was some time before the silence was shattered by Darcy's chuckles. "Archaeologists like it dirty, don't they?" Lizzy laughed at the old joke about archaeologists.

And while one may imagine that they had their first kiss under the moonlight, by the coastline, fate had shelved it off to some other date. There was no first kiss between our dear couple but an intimacy had been established.  
Before dropping her off, Darcy murmured, "I never got the chance to thank you for this morning. It was magical. You are a wonderful teacher. I wonder why I was afraid of all that beauty hidden in the vast waters. I marvel at your strength. I would never wish to leave that world if I did this every year. " Elizabeth smiled brightly in appreciation. Finally, she had met somebody who understood her relationship with the oceans. With a peck on his cheek, she wished him goodnight and Darcy knew that he was in for a long long night, alone in his bed.


End file.
